


To Lay A Dragon

by fyrewhiskey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-11 20:45:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 63,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4451750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fyrewhiskey/pseuds/fyrewhiskey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post War everything changes.  Relationships end, new ones begin.  Humor, Romance, Mystery.<br/>This story takes place after book 6 in the series. Any events from book 7 that exist will be mentioned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All of the delectable characters belong to JK Rowling.  
> The art for the story: http://cecedecat.deviantart.com/art/Harry-and-Draco-The-Lion-and-the-Dragon-553998169

Harry sat with his teammates at a table in the Unicorn’s Tail. The bar was crowded and the noise level excessive; it was the local hangout of the London based Quidditch players. Teams sat together at separate tables, drinking, and loudly exchanging barbs with other teams around the room. 

The Quidditch commission, founded after the war, had completely revamped the world of Quidditch. They had set up a new system with many more teams, including four London based teams in order to try and fill the void of entertainment grossly lacking in most wizards lives after the trials and losses of war. 

Harry clapped his beer down heavily on the table and looked up smartly. Draco Malfoy, seeker for the Slayers had just loudly proclaimed that their upcoming game against his team, the Dragons, would be an easy win because “word had it that the Dragon seeker was a pansy.”

The Slayer table had met Malfoy’s words with loud guffaws and as was the norm, the Dragons stared at one another grinning, waiting for the comeback Harry was certain to provide.

They were right of course, ‘did I just hear the squawk of a fucking ferret?’ Harry barked, tilting his head as if listening intently. 

His teammates laughed in support; Blaise Zabini, Draco’s best mate, but a beater for the Dragons laughed as loud as the rest. Despite old established friendships and Hogwarts’ house loyalties, when on the field or at the bar, the only important factor was loyalty to one’s team. 

One of the team’s ‘groupies’ sitting at the Dragons table pressed her arm about Harry’s shoulder’s, ‘you weren’t acting very much like a pansy last night,’ she said lewdly, causing a mild uproar at the table. 

‘That might be,’ Draco said loudly from across the room, ‘but somebody might want to explain to said seeker that the snitch isn’t located in my crotch.’

More laughter, this time roaring from all of the surrounding tables, including that of the Dragons. Harry too burst into genuine laughter, recalling the last game between his team and the Slayers. 

Harry and Draco had been pursuing the snitch and Draco had the advantage. Harry had hunkered down on his broom and jetted suddenly forward and sideways, attempting to knock Draco off balance while lunging with his hand outstretched toward the snitch. 

However, his hand had got caught up against the Slytherin’s thigh and Draco had reflexively jerked his leg backward, causing Harry’s palm to fall on his groin. The Slytherin had quickly crammed his thigh against his broomstick, trapping Harry’s hand against his groin and made a sharp turn causing the Gryffindor to lose his equilibrium. 

Neither had caught the snitch after the play, having lost sight of it during their private little battle. However, the play had been shown on the big screen at the stadium and on the magical screens now ensconced in nearly every wizard home; few in the wizard world hadn’t seen the hilarious and slightly humiliating play. 

‘One more beer and I won’t hear you anymore,’ Harry mumbled around his laughter. Malfoy’s dark sense of humor didn’t bother him; it rather matched his own.

‘Bella another beer,’ Harry called rambunctiously to Lilac, the part Veela waitress who served drinks. 

Lilac sauntered to their table and placed one of the many drinks she carried on a tray before Harry and he in turn pinched her lightly on the butt. Slapping his hand she moved quickly away as laughter rang out at the table. Her allure was incomparable, unfortunately, so was her firm intention to keep the players at bay. 

‘Nice move, Potter,’ Draco’s voice rang out moments later, ‘you should write a book entitled Great Pick Up Moves.’ More laughter followed his statement.

‘Wouldn’t do you any good Malfoy,’ Harry responded, giving the Slytherin a sly smile, ‘no advice would ever help you get those fat little fingers of yours into my boxers.’

Laughter again prevailed. It was well known that Draco swung both ways, but most were fairly certain that he had little desire for his long time rival Potter…fairly certain. Potter they were more certain about. He was a ladies man through and through and proved it on a weekly basis, routinely bedding any cute and willing young witch that caught his eye.

In the five years since Harry had killed Lord Voldemort he had changed greatly. He had quickly grown tired of the wizard world treating him with esteem and honor for his deeds. He had allowed Mad-eye Moody to correct his vision (rather ironic that the man curing his sight stared down at him with a eye-ball whizzing around its socket the whole time), eliminating the need for glasses and then accepted an offer from the Dragons to play seeker for their team. 

He began to make good friends among his teammates and other players and allowed himself to be reformed into a world class sports figure with all the trimmings. Ribald behavior, cursing, and drinking became a part of his everyday life; he could even be found smoking upon occasion.

Ginny, his girlfriend after the war had become quickly disgusted with his behavior and ended their relationship. Harry had felt a loss at her deflection, but he was able to let it go fairly quickly; the multitude of witches happy to fill his bed had helped significantly.

Harry wasn’t exactly fulfilled sexually or emotionally, but his dalliances kept his horniness at bay and he was overall happier than he had ever been in his life.

‘Blaise,’ Draco called after a time, ‘let’s get the hell outta here.’

Blaise, seated next to Harry and speaking to him about their upcoming game looked up at his friend as Draco arose from his table. ‘And go where?’

‘Let’s head over to the Roost.’

Blaise rolled his eyes. Draco was drunk and that meant a crazy night was in store. The Haunted Rooster was certainly the proper place for it. 

‘Yeah, alright,’ Blaise said a little reluctantly.

‘If you would rather sit knitting baby booties with Potter, I’ll understand,’ Draco said, stumbling a little as he made his way from the table.

Blaise laughed and looked at his teammate, ‘wanna come?’ he asked Harry.

Harry liked the Rooster, he’d enjoyed many ribald nights dancing and drinking the night away and each had generally ended up with him dragging a plastered witch to his home and balling her until he passed out.

Harry contemplated the invitation for a moment and another of his teammates, Michael Corner jerked his head at him.

‘Some of us are heading out to watch the Veela show,’ he lifted his brows a few times in a lewd manner, giving tribute to the attraction of the Veelas.

However, the Veela show was something Harry took little pleasure in. They performed a sexy show for the audience, but like Lilac, refused to have any contact with the male members of the audience after the show. He had gone once and never returned; what was the point of being excited and then having to apparate home with blueballs?

Harry rolled his eyes at Michael, ‘sure Blaise, let’s go,’ he responded at last and then looked over to the Avenger table where Ron and his teammates had begun singing a rather indiscrete song about stealing virgin witches from their beds. 

‘Ron, let’s go to the Rooster, mate,’ Harry called.

Ron looked up, his face flushed, ‘the Rooster?’ he gave a small moue of distaste, ‘maybe I’ll come around later, I was thinking of checking out the Veela show.’

Harry rolled his eyes again and got up to follow Blaise who was on the trail of a slightly staggering Draco Malfoy.

It wasn’t unusual for Harry and Draco to be a part of the same group out on the town; their rivalry was pretty much limited to team sport. When seeking evening pleasure, players from various teams often co-mingled, their sport rivalry put aside in pursuit of a grander, more disreputable goal.

Harry followed Blaise from the bar, avoiding members of the press who were scattered about fishing for controversial comments from the players that would support juicy and enticing headlines, especially the members of the gutter press. They clamored after Harry; the country loved keeping up with its war hero turned seeker and he was constantly besieged by the media. 

They managed to get out without being hassled by the press and left the bar, apparating to the Rooster. They entered the wizard club and headed directly for the bar. After ordering drinks, they leaned against the bar-rail and looked over the crowd.

Harry reached back to grab his drink and Draco quickly pulled it from his grasp, ‘that’s mine’ he said arrogantly.

‘So it is’ Harry responded with a grin, gripping his own and taking a swig. 

A nice looking redhead guy sauntered before them, blatantly winking at Draco as he passed. Draco looked at his drink, signaling his disinterest.

Harry laughed.

‘Interested’? Draco asked, ‘I can call him back for you.’

‘I think that’s more your style.’

‘Don’t knock what you haven’t tried, Potter,’ Draco remarked, his eyes feasting on a cute blonde with mountainous breasts. 

‘There are some dark places I have no interest in illuminating,’ Harry said, matching Draco’s tone.

‘Right,’ Draco responded sarcastically.

Harry looked at Draco depreciatingly, ‘don’t project your depraved desires onto me; I know I bring out your sordid lust, but try and control it.’

‘If I wanted to make you my bitch, Potter, you would be down on your knees gulping me up like a man who’s thirsted for water for seven years.’

‘In your most twisted nightmares maybe,’ Harry responded offhandedly, his eyes following the trail of a scantily dressed witch sashaying by them. 

Blaise, never one to hesitate, quickly caught up with the little witch and trained his way too handsome smile down at her face. She seemed…intrigued.

‘Bloody Bastard,’ Harry mumbled, watching Blaise make his moves on the young witch, ‘he moves faster than a hippogriff in heat.’ 

Draco laughed and then pressed his face a little closer to the Gryffindor’s, ‘you would be surprised at the content of my most twisted nightmares, Potter,’ he slurred a little drunkenly.

‘Actually,’ Harry responded, a small smiling winding its way onto his mouth, ‘I don’t think I would be surprised at all.’ 

‘Au contraire,’ Draco purred, ‘you would be quite astonished at some of them.’

‘Would I now? Why would that be, Malfoy?’

‘Because in some of them you are tied up tightly to my bedpost, naked and writhing, begging me to fuck you.’

Harry laughed, ‘and that is supposed to be surprising?’

‘No,’ Draco said smiling a little evilly, ‘the surprising part is that I comply with your request in order to stop your senseless pleading.’

Harry’s laughter grew louder, ‘fuck off, Malfoy.’

Draco’s smile remained plastered to his face as he edged back from the Gryffindor. He slowly lifted his glass and took another sip of his beverage.

A rather plain looking blond witch sauntered up to the two of them and her eyes fell on Harry. ‘Harry Potter?’ she asked a little shyly.

Harry grimaced a little; now and again he still had to deal with the admirers of the war hero. 

Harry nodded at the girl.

‘Harry Potter, male extraordinaire, at your service,’ Draco said flamboyantly.

The girl smiled vacantly at Draco and then trained her eyes, a little hungrily, on Harry once more, ‘I have always wanted to meet you.’ 

Harry smiled in a way he hoped was kindly, but his face felt greatly strained.

‘My name is Libra,’ she said, smiling warmly.

‘Nice to meet you Libra,’ Harry murmured.

‘If you want to play Harry’s whore for the night, Libra, forget it; he is rather adverse to power fucks,’ Draco said, his dark laughing eyes lighting up joyously as the girl flushed deeply. 

‘Ignore him, he’s drunk,’ Harry said to the girl, but he was laughing on the inside.

The girl looked terribly uncomfortable and lowered her eyes, ‘well I just wanted to meet you.’ She peeped quickly at Harry again before turning and scrambling away.

Harry grinned watching her go, ‘that was fucking evil,’ he commented to Draco.

‘I’ll show you fucking evil,’ Draco responded, his grey eyes staring intensely into Harry’s green orbs when their eyes met. 

Harry looked at Draco speculatively; the Slytherin was acting a little odder than usual. He was a little drunker than usual as well, but Harry also felt a unique vibe emanating from his rival seeker.

‘I have seen evil,’ Harry said, allowing his eyes to slip to his drink, ‘enough for a lifetime, but thanks for the offer.’ 

Draco chuckled and turned his attention back to the crowd. He resettled against the bar before speaking, ‘that wasn’t an offer, Potter. You will easily recognize any offer from me aimed at you because you will have just beaten it out of me.’

Harry broke into laughter then took another sip of his drink, ‘you know Malfoy,’ he said, his tone still full of mirth, ‘if I didn’t know better, I would accuse you of flirting with me.’ 

‘Then it is a good thing you know me as well as you do.” 

Harry looked at the Slytherin speculatively, but he was distracted by an adorable, if familiar looking, brunette that had arrived at the bar. She stood to the left of Draco ordering a drink. Harry began racking his memory, trying to recall where he’d seen her before.

Draco followed Harry’s gaze and a moment later he lightly nudged the Gryffindor with his elbow in the ribs, ‘look who’s here,’ he said pointedly, his forefinger sneaking out to indicate Ginny who sat in a corner booth talking animatedly with a tall foreign looking wizard. 

Harry’s eyes found Ginny and then slowly moved to fall upon the Slytherin’s face, ‘and?’

‘It appears she has found yet another man.’

‘Did you expect she would remain a somber, chaste wallflower; sitting by the window at the Burrow hoping I would come running back, begging her to be with me?’

‘No, but I thought maybe you did.’

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head lightly. He took another sip of his drink. ‘You are obviously drunk. That was a long time ago. She’s like a sister to me now.’

Draco smirked and his eyes darkened, ‘the things Potter has done with his sister.’

Harry grinned, conceding the point and Draco winked at him.

Harry took a long swig this time and his eyes once again roaming over the crowd, but quite unfocused. He and Malfoy were not terribly close, but he knew the ex-prince of Slytherin quite well. Draco Malfoy was flirting with him.

Harry and Draco were both distracted from their private pursuits however, when a loud crash resounded to their left. They whipped their heads around to find Blaise and another wizard on the ground…brawling.

Blaise clearly had the upper hand; he sat atop the man pummeling him about the upper torso.

Harry and Draco ran over as one and pulled their friend away from the struggling man on the floor.

‘What the hell, Blaise!’ Harry said.

‘What the fuck are you doing?’ Draco asked simultaneously.

‘The bastard took a shot at me on the dance floor,’ Blaise said angrily.

‘Well I-’ began Draco, but the club proprietor arrived and cut him off mid sentence.

‘Out, all of you, out!’ he cried, crooking his finger at a couple of well-built wizards who began walking toward the group.

The wizard had struggled up from the ground and looked as if he were about to attack Blaise, but the two muscular wizards had arrived and began shoving all involved toward the exit, although careful not to lay a hand on Harry. 

The wizards bouncers had recognized him and all of the Quidditch players in fact, and showed them no mercy based on their status as players. However, while they might not admit it, the bouncers had no desire to personally tussle with Harry. Although he’d never made use of his legendary ability as a wizard in public since the war, they weren’t willing to chance being the first to provoke him into doing so.

‘If you want to fight, do it in the street,’ yelled the owner as they were all tossed summarily from the bar.

‘I’m gonna kick your bloody ass!’ the stranger yelled at Blaise the moment the club employees slammed the door in their faces. 

‘Come on,’ Draco said, dragging Blaise forcefully away.

Harry quickly grabbed Blaise’s other arm and helped drag; the last thing he needed was to lose his beater. A public fight would be grounds for sanction. 

Blaise finally gave in and the three walked quickly around the corner from the bar.

‘Let’s apparate to my place,’ Draco said.

Harry looked behind them and saw the angry wizard rounding the corner; ‘death to Blaise’ was written clearly across his features. ‘Good idea,’ Harry agreed.

Draco, still holding onto Blaise, clasped Harry’s arm and moments before the angry wizard was upon them, they apparated. 

The three moved into the front room of Draco’s house and Blaise began pacing and ranting about the ‘idiot’ who had come onto the dance floor while he was dancing with the chick he’d found and punched him in the mouth. 

Harry and Draco looked on with amusement for a while, but Draco finally had enough.

‘Let’s get in the Jacuzzi pool and relax a bit, what do you say, Blaise?’

Blaise turned a nasty stare upon his friend, but then his face relaxed and a few moments later he chuckled, ‘I wanted to kill that asshole, but in reality the chick was boring as hell.’

Draco smirked as he arose and started walking from the room, ‘her dullness wouldn’t have mattered one bit once you got her in the sack.’

Blaise grinned, ‘yeah if boyfriend hadn’t come along, that was the plan. Shut her up and stuff her,’ he said lewdly as he followed his host from the room.

Harry hadn’t made up his mind to get in the Jacuzzi, but followed the Slytherins to the pool room while deciding. However, one look at the humongous Jacuzzi that in reality resembled a small pool, and he made up his mind. He accepted the trunks Draco provided and began undressing with the others.

Blaise began another small rant about kicking the stranger’s ass while they changed. Harry missed much of what the Slytherin said however; he was covertly watching Draco, who was covertly scrutinizing his body. 

Harry changed a little quicker than was his wont and then rapidly moved into the Jacuzzi. Draco had set it to bubbling and it felt warm and delicious encircling his body.

Once they were seated inside, Draco used his wand to signal the servants that he desired drinks for his friends and himself. A short while later, the three were lying back taking in the soothing feel of the warm water surging around them and the cool alcohol burning its way down their throats.

‘This is great,’ Blaise said, snuggling back against the side of the pool.

‘You do everything in a big way don’t you?’ remarked Harry, again noting the size of the large bath.

Draco smirked, ‘everything I have is extra large,’ he replied, his voice heavy with innuendo.

Harry rolled his eyes and took another swig of his drink. The drink and in fact the several drinks he had had during the night were taking their toll. He was feeling increasingly relaxed and a little woozy to boot. He placed his drink at the side of the bath and closed his eyes, soaking up the invigorating warmth.

Harry jerked awake a little while later to a splashing sound beside him. Blaise had gotten out of the pool and Draco was headed toward him.

‘Come on,’ he said, his voice edged with drink, ‘you can do your sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms.’

Harry looked up lazily and watched Draco dip fully beneath, and then rise out of the water before stepping slowly from the bath, grabbing a towel and leaving the room.

When he departed, Harry sat immobilized in the still bath. Draco, while dipping into the water beside him, had allowed his hand to drift between the Gryffindor’s legs and pass seductively over his crotch. Harry’s groin was tingling with uncustomary excitement and his brain was having trouble assimilating exactly why that might be the case.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry slowly dried off and dressed after finally exiting the warmth of Draco’s Jacuzzi bath. He moved into the hallway and found Draco leaning against the wall just outside of the pool room, apparently waiting on him. 

‘Took you long enough,’ Draco said, shoving himself away from the wall and starting off down the hall.

‘Shut up and show me a bed,’ Harry said brusquely as he followed the Slytherin down the rather long hallway. 

Draco walked slowly, allowing his current prey to keep up with him. He was fairly certain that Harry knew what he was after; the trick would be to talk Harry around to joining him for a little fun. He made no secret of his bisexuality, having carried out an open, if less than serious affair with Lucian, a French Quidditch player who had played for the Avengers in London for a year before returning to his home country.

When Lucian arrived in London, he and Draco became fairly good friends and one drunken evening the Frenchman seduced Draco. His experience with Lucian had informed him that he enjoyed a masculine bed partner, perhaps more than female company, although he was still working that out. 

Lucian and he had an ongoing if rather sporadic relationship; they got together whenever time and lust found them in the same place at the same time, but there had been no real emotional attachment between them. Both had continued sleeping with others, although all of the ‘others’ Draco slept with had been women. 

However women never seemed to be able to excite Draco’s libido the way Lucian did. Since Lucian left, he’d been with only one other wizard; again on a drunken night and that time Draco had been the seducer. The seduced wizard had never been with a man before and had not since. Draco had slept with a few women since then, but his libido began crying out for excitement and he once again began searching for male company. 

He had set his eyes on Harry Potter. The idea of seducing Potter had a strange sort of fascination for him considering their long and convoluted past. Nonetheless, he liked the person Harry had become over the last five years. Both of them had changed dramatically since the war, and oddly enough, they had both transformed from opposite directions into a very similar type of animal. 

There was also the fact that Potter was purportedly straight and would provide a challenge, just as the other wizard he’d pursued had. There was something about the chase that excited him tremendously. 

Draco didn’t want to settle down with anyone; he merely wanted to satiate his desire. He suspected Potter wouldn’t be averse to a one time fling once he adjusted to the idea; he figured it would hold the same fascination for the Gryffindor as it did for him.

They passed several doorways before Draco finally came to a stop and twisted the golden knob of a corner door.

Harry entered the room behind Draco and was impressed with what he saw. The room was huge and the bed large enough to sleep ten. It looked invitingly comfortable with a huge feather-down comforter spread about it and six fluffy pillows at its head. The gold bedposts swirled upward in the shape of a serpent; a small reminder of who was providing all of the luxury.

‘There are pajamas in the dresser if you do that sort of thing,’ Draco said, pointing to a humongous chest of drawers.

Harry walked toward the bed, pulling his sweater over his head and tossing it carelessly on a chair that he passed. He sat on the bed and felt as if he had sunk into a cloud; it was without a doubt the softest comforter he’d ever come across. 

Harry noted without much surprise that Draco was still standing in the room. 

He looked up at the Slytherin inquiringly, ‘if you are waiting on a strip-tease, you are going to be sadly disappointed, I only strip for women.’

Draco smirked, ‘I rather think my disappointment would arise from what would be revealed once you removed your pants.’

Harry managed to return Draco’s smirk with one that would have made any Slytherin proud, ‘and you know that from your earlier inspection in the pool room?’ he asked boldly.

‘Indeed,’ Draco conceded, ‘the rumors were exaggerated as usual.’ 

‘Get the fuck out,’ Harry responded, mirth running through his tone, ‘before I throw your ass out.’ 

Harry rubbed his hands over his face in a gesture of exhaustion. He dropped his hands to his jeans and snapped the button open then stood up while unzipping them. However his hand paused midway through the act when with some surprise realized that Draco had approached the bed and was standing only a small distance away from him. 

Harry eyes flashed up to meet the grey eyes staring into his. 

‘What I was wondering,’ Draco said smoothly before the Gryffindor had a chance to speak, ‘is why a purportedly straight Harry Potter became so damned excited when his rocks came into contact with my hand.’

Harry’s expression turned pragmatic, ‘you mean when you copped a feel in the Jacuzzi?’

Draco grinned.

‘It was you alone who became excited and by the way, you’re welcome.’

A brief gust of laughter escaped Draco, ‘deny it if you like but I could feel your excitement. It was fucking radiating.’

Harry started laughing.

‘The fact is, you liked it, but you likely talked yourself out of that fact while sitting there.’

Harry sighed tiredly, ‘go to bed Draco, you’re bloody drunk.’

‘I am, but so are you and in my opinion that is the best time to experiment and have a little fun. Tomorrow it can be explained away as a fucked-up, drunken evening.’

‘I’m not that damned drunk,’ Harry said, unzipping his jeans the rest of the way and slipping them off. He moved quickly into the bed throwing the enticing comforter over himself.

Noting that Draco had still not left, he cocked a brow at the Slytherin, ‘you may stand there and lust after me all night if you wish, but there will be the devil to pay if you come anywhere near this bed.’ 

A genuine smile formed about Draco’s lips, ‘the devil, eh? Well maybe I’ll just go and arrange a little pre-payment with him.’ 

Laughter jetted from Harry’s throat, ‘don’t waste your money,’ he said still chuckling. He turned onto his side and snuggled under the warmth of the comforter.

Harry heard Draco traverse the room and then the door to the room closing. He struggled up and peeked about the room to ensure the Slytherin had left and then fell back onto the mattress.

Harry didn’t fall asleep however, his mind had wandered back to the Jacuzzi and the excitement Draco’s touch had engendered. 

Wizards in general did not attach the same stigma to homosexual affairs as did their Muggle counterparts. It was not unacceptable for two witches or wizards to have a relationship; the only concern for wizards in this regard had been the continued propagation of their species. Few wizards were born from Muggle parents, so mating for children was encouraged. The Ministry addressed this by encouraging all wizards to have children, even if a same sex couple had to ‘borrow’ a witch or wizard to do so.

Harry’s feelings echoed that of the wizard world. He had actually given the matter of experimenting with a man some thought in the past. He knew of several players who had tried it and some of them had declared it to have been a wicked experience. 

Harry recalled the electric sensation that had passed through his body when Draco had briefly touched him earlier and began to understand what they meant. That had indeed been wicked. 

A small grin formed about Harry’s lips; if he were to experiment, Draco would be a rather crazy choice of partner considering the strange road their relationship had followed over the years. On the other hand, they got on fine these days and there was a certain poetic justice to the whole idea. 

In any case, he thought, he was still not certain he was ready to further broaden his horizons; he’d already done so…tremendously. 

Harry’s thoughts became hazy as he drifted to sleep and his pre-sleep thoughts followed him into his dreams. 

_Harry was traveling through forests and villages, familiar and yet at the same time new somehow. Places, people and animals floated through his mind for a long while and then suddenly he was in a darkened room and lying naked in a comfortable bed, but he was not alone. Draco Malfoy was lying beside him, fully dressed, and his hand was moving slowly toward Harry’s groin. Harry watched the long, elegant fingers drift toward him and his desire began to rapidly escalate._

_The hand seemed to be taking an extraordinary amount of time in reaching its goal and Harry wanted to scream at Draco and demand that he move faster. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. ‘Please, please touch me now!’ Harry begged as he watched the hand move ever closer._

_Finally the hand reached him and fell upon his thigh. His thigh started to tingle at the touch and when the hand began moving inward along his thigh, his entire body began sparkling with desire. ‘Now,’ he begged silently in his dream, ‘do it!’ The hand finally reached his groin and Harry gasped loudly, this time sound erupting from his throat as the long fingers began moving along his groin._

_Harry’s passion soared as the fingers curled slightly and moved upward finally closing over his hardness. The hand began stroking him slowly, adroitly and each stroke seemed to send his ardor roaring to a new level. It was delicious, maddeningly so and he began to feel a grand explosion building within him. When his climax hit he was unprepared for the tremendous sensation that passed through him, long and vibrant, completely satiating._

_He had never taken his eyes from the beautiful long fingers as they worked their magic and they continued to softly massage him as his body relaxed from the devastating orgasm._

_'Harry,’ the voice called, ‘Harry!’ He looked up from the bed and noticed that Dumbledore was standing near a doorway, ‘Harry we must go now, it is time to apparate.’_

_Harry felt a wave of disappointment he would rather lie with the hand moving over his softening member forever._

‘Harry.’

_Go away Dumbledore, Harry thought, if he thought hard enough, maybe the old wizard would get the message._

‘Harry, wake up you slug.’

Harry jerked out of his dream state and into reality. He was deep within the warm comforter of Draco’s bed alone with a wet mess lining his boxers.

‘You awake?’

Harry struggled up a little and looked toward the door. Draco stood just inside the doorway. ‘Yea,’ the Gryffindor mumbled.

‘I have practice in an hour and according to Blaise, so do you. Get up.’

‘Yea, I’m up,’ Harry grumbled and watched Draco drop through the door, leaving him to face the wetness about his groin alone.

Harry looked down at his shorts with a little surprise. He hadn’t had a wet dream in quite some time. The memory of what he had been dreaming about at the time hit him at about the same moment. That made sense to him considering what he’d been thinking about before he fell asleep; in the past he’d had wet dreams thinking about far stranger and less sexual things. 

Harry quickly scanned the sheets for remnants of his excitement and noticed a couple of small stains. He moved out of the bed and pulled his wand from the wizard weapon pocket in his jeans. He cleaned the mess and then himself and slowly began to dress.

‘Morning,’ Blaise said around a mouth full of eggs when Harry entered the dining room.

‘Hey,’ Harry responded, plopping himself down in an empty chair and pulling one of the large covered platters before him. ‘I’m starving,’ he declared, scooping a huge helping of eggs onto his plate. 

‘What else you got?’ Harry asked Draco who was seated across from him cutting into his food.

Draco placed his knife and fork down and grasped one of the platters near him and passed it to Blaise, ‘bacon, potatoes, beans, whatever you like,’ he said offhandedly.

Harry nodded distractedly. He had been looking at the Slytherins hands while they moved to transfer the platter and then took up the knife and fork again. They were exactly like the hand that had figured predominately in his dream. The long, slim fingers looked almost graceful in their movement. 

Harry accepted the platter from Blaise and then another after that. But his eyes kept floating back to Draco’s hands and his mind to his dream.

However, Blaise began speaking, distracting Harry from his thoughts, ‘I’m throwing a little get together tonight at my place.’

‘Cool,’ Harry responded.

‘What time?’ Draco asked.

‘Around nine,’ Blaise estimated, ‘but come whenever, no games tomorrow so it’ll likely go until the wee hours.’

Harry imagined the little get together would likely be quite large. It was Friday and there were no practices on Saturdays as generally games were played. However, none were scheduled for the London based teams the next day, so it was likely most of the players would be there and of course, all of the groupies.

They got up to leave shortly thereafter and moved through the front door to the porch. 

‘Thanks for putting me up,’ Harry said, throwing his hand out to give Draco’s a slap. When their hands snapped together for that brief moment, another little charge moved through Harry. It wasn’t the contact, but rather the fact that he had once again taken notice of that hand.

Harry had the worst practice of his life; his mind was distracted the entire time and he didn’t catch sight of the snitch once. He wasn’t looking for it with his usual gusto. In his normal introspective way, he was thinking about his small obsession with Draco’s hand and the dream he’d had. He didn’t reach any conclusions, but his thoughts kept him fairly distracted while seeking. 

Their captain, Michael Corner balled him out afterward, but Harry shrugged it off. Michael’s complaints hadn’t been heartfelt because he normally played phenomenally; even his captain had realized he had to be off now and again.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Harry arrived at the party it was in full swing as he hoped it would be; he had arrived at eleven to ensure that would be the case. Throughout the day thoughts of his dream and the hand had continued to flitter through his mind now and again and he had begun convincing himself that a little mild experimentation wouldn’t hurt, but he kept vacillating. 

Harry saw Ron talking with a couple of his Avenger teammates and sauntered over to where they stood.

A couple of girls were also among the little group and Ron had his arm clutched tightly around one cute little witch. The two of them seemed to be using one another for support.

‘Ya made it, ya bum,’ Ron said loudly upon spotting his friend.

Harry started chuckling at the sight of Ron’s clumsy footing; he appeared to be teetering. ‘Yup,’ Harry responded, ‘where’s the beer?’

‘Keg to your left,’ Ron said jovially, leaning down to plant a rather sloppy kiss on the girl’s mouth.

Harry headed over to the keg and grabbed a glass from the table next to it. A couple of people were waiting for the keg so he stood in the ill-formed line.

‘What’s up, Potts?’ Draco’s voice rang out along side him.

‘Not much, just going after my first,’ Harry responded in his usual casual tone. Inside however, he was a little nonplussed at seeing the owner of the hand he had been thinking about throughout the day.

Draco had been at the party a while and he was well on his way to a good drunk, but he held his liquor well. ‘Who the hell would provide only one endless keg at a party this size?’ he wondered a loud.

Harry grinned, ‘Blaise.’

Draco chuckled a little, ‘he has a real knack for party planning, that one.’

The people in front of them finally cleared out and Harry shoved his glass beneath the keg faucet, ‘any hot babes here tonight or just the run of the mill leeches?’

Draco began looking around the room, ‘leeches to the last, but I haven’t made rounds in a while, maybe some have turned up. I am sure if you look hard enough you can find something…different.’

Harry didn’t miss the innuendo in Draco’s voice and his eyes slid sideways to regard the Slytherin as he pulled his full glass back. ‘I doubt it,’ he said taking a swig, ‘generally the -’

But Harry broke off suddenly when he caught sight of Draco’s hand moving the lever on the keg to fill his glass. Had Draco always moved his fingers that way? It appeared as though he were caressing the keg lever as he flicked it forward. 

Harry kicked himself mentally, growing frustrated with his singular concentration on Draco’s hand and fingers today.

‘Generally what?’ Draco asked as he stood and regarded the Gryffindor.

Harry pulled himself together and his swaggering expression again in place, ‘generally the hot sluts arrive early, find a corner and hold court all night,’ he finished. He kept his eyes firmly planted on the crowd about them.

Draco laughed, ‘true. To another night of lust with the run of the mill leeches,’ he proclaimed, holding up his glass.

Harry lifted his glass and allowed it to clink with Draco’s. He attempted to avoid looking at the Slytherin’s hand clutching the glass. He failed. The sight sent a little shiver down his spine.

‘Let the hunt begin,’ Harry said a little louder and a little wilder than called for, never meeting the Slytherin’s eye. He then turned a little abruptly and made his way back toward Ron.

Draco stared at the Gryffindor’s back as he mixed into the crowd of partiers and a small smirk lit his features. Despite his efforts to appear otherwise, Harry had been decidedly uncomfortable while they were speaking. That was very unlike Harry; he had become an extraordinarily confident person. 

Draco gave it two weeks.

Harry spent the next two hours trying to catch up with Ron’s inebriated state, but he never made it. Young Weasley drank himself into a stupor and plopping himself down on a convenient couch, passed out; his plans to take the beauty he’d captured to his bed completely thwarted.

The girl, only a little less drunk than Ron, attached herself to Harry and stood flirting with him. Harry missed most of her attempts to woo him; his mind was completely focused on the debate he was having with Ron’s Avenger teammates over a totally irrelevant Quidditch rule.

When the conversation finally lulled the girl looked up at Harry, ‘let’s go have a few more drinks at your place,’ she said.

Harry generally liked to do the pursuing himself, but he was pretty twisted with drink by that time and had a mind to go for her offer. However, at that moment, Blaise wailed loudly with delight; his deep and fierce growl causing several heads to turn in his direction, including Harry’s. Apparently he’d gotten the better of someone or another in the group he was talking to as they all had begun laughing loudly. 

Draco was among the group and when Harry glanced over his eyes remained momentarily glued to the group. More specifically to Draco’s hand which was firmly gripped about the glass he was bringing to his lips.

Harry’s drunken mind quickly started shooting scenes of that hand and its firm grip through his head and the glass wasn’t involved at all. 

‘How about it?’ the girl attaching herself to his waist asked, looking up at him with unmitigated lust in her eyes.

Harry had completely lost interest in the girl in those few seconds, something that would later haunt his thoughts greatly. He grinned down at her, ‘would be delightful, but,’ he looked at Ron slumped on the couch, ‘I got to get my buddy home.’

‘I’ll take care of Ron,’ William, the Avenger’s beater said quickly. He bent to gather Ron up from the couch.

Harry didn’t want to be with the girl, who’s name he’d completely forgotten. However, he was quite used to getting out of unwanted assignations. ‘Thanks, Bill,’ he said and then began detaching himself from the girl, ‘I think I am going to call it a night, but we’ll do it another time, babe, eh?’

He didn’t wait for an answer or the begging that would surely come; he turned quickly and moved through the crowd, making his way to the restroom.

Inside, he stared at himself in the mirror and wondered what the hell he was doing. He’d never been one to hide things from himself and he had no intention of starting now. He was apparently up for finding out more about the excitement that the hand might generate. 

His drunken visage in the mirror began debating the issue with him and he stood going back and forth with himself for some time. An impatient knock on the door reminded him that he’d been unforgivably hogging the bathroom. The endless keg likely meant there was an endless line in front of the door after so long.

Harry quickly exited the restroom and made his way past the exasperated looking individuals in the line before it. A couple of players sent ribald comments his way that he didn’t catch; his mind was still occupied with itself.

Just do it or forget the shit! He said to himself with irritation when he had made his way back into the main party room. 

Ron was gone and looking around he saw that Draco appeared to be taking his leave of Blaise. 

It’s now or never, thought Harry. With determination in his eyes, he waited until Draco began making his way to the door and taking a deep breath, he followed. 

Draco moved through the door and with his back still to Harry, he pulled his wand from his jeans, clearly on the point of apparating. 

Harry moved quickly forward and tapped Draco on the shoulder, ‘just a minute.’

Draco turned with curiosity in his eyes.

Harry stalled a moment, his bravado slinking away from him a bit. He was rarely tongue tied any more and he had figured out what to say in his mind, but standing before Draco, all of the witty quips he’d come up with in the bathroom suddenly seemed too outrageous to voice.

He snatched his bravado back and slammed through his inebriated brain attempting to think of something else to say.

However, Draco had been staring at Harry the whole time and while it seemed way too soon, he was quite certain that Harry had made up his mind to do a little experimenting with him. He could hardly credit it; he had barely begun the chase. 

‘Wanna come by my place for a quick drink?’ Draco asked rather nonchalantly.

‘Sure,’ Harry responded, keeping his tone indifferent. He felt a small pinch of embarrassment at the thought that Draco had figured him out.


	3. Chapter 3

When Harry and Draco arrived at the Slytherin’s home, they moved directly into the front room and sat down on the couch. Draco called for a bottle of his favorite drink and one of his house elves was quick to serve them, leaving the bottle and closing the door on his way out.

Harry began to relax and feel a bit more comfortable about his decision to approach Draco. While it had been the Slytherin who had finally suggested they get together, there was little question about what was on both of their minds when the offer was made.

Harry took a deep sip of the cool alcohol and grimaced a little at its bite. It plunged through his body, joining the good amount that was already inside of him, burning his throat along the way.

‘You like your drinks strong as hell,’ he murmured going for another sip.

Draco grinned, ‘it takes a lot to get me twisted.’

‘I’ve noticed,’ Harry responded. Of all the players, Draco was always the last to go under.

‘I think it is a rather good thing,’ Draco said nonchalantly.

Harry became aware of the cumulative effect of the alcohol he’d been drinking. His brain was having a little trouble coming up with the snappy rejoinders he was so good at. ‘It’s good,’ he replied at last, pausing to take another sip, ‘yeah.’

Draco started chuckling a little, ‘you on the other hand are two strides short of blacking out.’

Harry’s trademark wide smile appeared. It looked good on him; it conveyed his general happiness with his life and was something that many had found joy in seeing after all he’d been through. Some had thought he might never smile again, but he had bounced back like a trooper from his mission with evil…and then some.

Draco was not immune to the joy-filled smile of his companion. ‘You know Harry,’ he said scooting a little closer to the Gryffindor on the couch and watching with amusement as Harry edged back a little, ‘I used to think all this partying you have been doing for the last five years was a bit of a charade. But you really do enjoy a good time, don’t you.’

Harry knocked back the rest of what was in his glass in response. The Slytherin’s hand had slithered onto his thigh. Draco was moving a little too fast for his taste, even his drunken taste. He tried to figure out a way to eliminate the hand from its casual position near his knee without it seeming awkward, but when he finished his drink his eyes fell upon the hand itself.

Sober, Harry’s mind had done things with that hand that would have impressed even the staunchest lecher; drunk, his mind got a little scary with the visions.

Instead of asking for a second drink, the excuse he had come up with to get Draco to use his hands and remove the one causing warmth to spread about his leg, he reached for the bottle himself and poured another glass.

‘I think,’ Draco said softly, allowing his fingers to trail a small distance along Harry’s thigh, ‘that it’s a good thing.’

Harry had completely forgotten what they were talking about and Draco’s words made no sense to him. He didn’t bother responding; his eyes had refocused on the movement of the long fingers once he’d put the bottle down. He took another deep swig while he watched their gentle glide along his leg.

‘A definite change for the better,’ Draco said in the same soft tone.

‘A definite change,’ Harry repeated, with no idea whatsoever what he was talking about.

Draco’s delicate chuckle instantly penetrated his dazed mind and his eyes flew upward to meet the grey laughing eyes.

A wave of embarrassment, doubled by the strong drink, splashed through his senses. He silently cursed the alcohol; he was certain he had looked like a blubbering idiot, blatantly staring at Draco’s hand and making nonsensical replies. He hadn’t meant to be so…obvious. His eyes fell away from his host’s and he took another deep swig. 

Draco turned slightly, pulling his knee onto the couch so he could face the Gryffindor; his hand continuing its motion. ‘Harry,’ he whispered.

Harry looked up again.

‘Relax.’

Harry looked quickly at Draco’s hand and then met the Slytherin’s eyes once more; some of the pragmatism that was second nature to him returning, ‘I can do little else at the moment,’ he replied, drunken mirth shooting through his tone, ‘this drink could bring a dragon to its knees.’

‘I’m counting on it,’ Draco laughed.

Harry’s genuine laughter rang out; he’d walked right into that one. 

The palm of Draco’s hand began moving liberally over Harry’s leg, Harry, he thought, was still Harry, no matter how drunk he got – and apparently no matter how new the adventure. ‘We’ll I’m glad you’re feeling relaxed,’ Draco said then, ‘everything is much more enjoyable that way.’

Harry responded with a gasp; when Draco finished speaking his hand had slipped upward and inward, shamelessly continuing its caressing motion in the region of Harry’s groin.

Draco watched as Harry set his drink down a little wildly on the table, the liquid sloshing out along the rim due to the unsteadiness of his hand. The Slytherin smiled briefly before leaning to press slightly parted lips into the curve of Harry’s neck, his warm breath escaping against the soft skin. Draco’s hand never ceased its movement between Harry’s legs and he was amused to find Harry’s eyes fastened tightly upon it when he lifted his lips near the Gryffindor’s ear and caught sight of his eyes. 

Draco felt the excitement that he had been longing for rising within him. Harry’s scent was adding to his passion. He hadn’t thought the Gryffindor’s body would smell so woodsy and alluring; for some reason he had always associated a sweet smell with the Dragon’s seeker. 

He felt Harry’s excitement rising to match his own; his breathing had become a little labored and his hands had inched their way upward, resting lightly on Draco’s shoulders. 

In a sudden movement, Draco snaked his head upward and captured the Gryffindor’s mouth with his own, driving his tongue inside and twisting it with the softness he found there.

Harry was a little shocked when Draco’s lips unexpectedly collided with his, but he immediately capitulated, returning the kiss with as much fervency as the Slytherin was putting into it, perhaps more; never letting go of the vision of the hand in his mind. 

Draco’s fingers moved to the top of Harry’s jeans, popping the button loose and bringing down the zipper. He got no resistance at all; in fact, one of Harry’s hands had slipped from his shoulder and gripped the waist of his jeans to assist.

When Draco’s hand moved over his boxers, Harry gasped again, this time into the Slytherin’s throat as their mouths were still wildly twisting together. Draco allowed his hand to play a while along the cotton covered protrusion, but then he reached up and began tugging at Harry’s waist band again. 

Harry lifted his hips, never wanting his pants off more than at that moment. He assisted in shoving them together with his boxers away to the floor, kicking off his shoes in the same movement. He stretched his body allowing his head to rest against the couch arm. His eyes immediately zipped downward to watch Draco’s hand deftly caress his shaft. It was like a daydream come true. Nothing… he thought, …nothing could ever feel better than the delicious sensations that hand was causing to course through his body. 

Or so he thought. The Slytherin abruptly began sliding down his torso and when he reached Harry’s waist, the warmth of his mouth closed about his arousal. 

Harry fell back against the couch, lost in a cloud of euphoria. He’d had numerous blow jobs from women, but none of them had elicited the exotic, nerve tingling sensations he was feeling in that moment. The Slytherin’s tongue was blessed with the talent of the gods he thought, and he felt himself once again on the brink of orgasm.

Draco could tell that what he was doing was generating an extreme amount of excitement within the Gryffindor; it wasn’t surprising considering Harry’s drunkenness and the newness of the experience. However, there was much more he expected to achieve before the night was over. Draco’s mouth fell away as he moved to retrieve his wand from his wizard weapon pocket and cast a quick, silent spell. He allowed his wand to slip to the floor as he began edging one of his now slick fingers beneath Harry’s scrotum.

Harry’s hand had come gently to rest on his head in the interim, clearly urging Draco to continue and the Slytherin promptly recaptured his arousal with his mouth. Harry emitted a breathy moan and began gently lacing his fingers through the soft locks of hair beneath them.

Draco’s initial probes were gentle and soft and a small tensing of the body was the only reaction he got from Harry. However, when he added a little more pressure, Harry gasped and jerked his body upward. 

‘Relax,’ Draco prodded, lifting his mouth momentarily from its duty.

He captured the arousal again and in the same motion pressed his finger forward. A bigger gasp, but the sturdy attention of his mouth seemed to quell the Gryffindor’s desire to flee from his touch. Draco slowly continued making further strides and it wasn’t long before Harry’s hips began moving in concert with Draco’s mouth and finger; apparently having adjusted to the small intrusion.

Draco noted that Harry’s ardor was building again and he backed off, this time sliding his body upward and his jeans downward. Harry scooted down to join him, throwing his shirt off and watching Draco send his shirt sailing into the tangled heap of clothing and shoes spread about the floor. 

Draco pressed his body into Harry’s, urging him onto his side facing away from him. His hand began to drift downward until it rested against the Gryffindor’s thigh; he grasped it from beneath and slowly drew the limb upward, his hand caressing it into place. He then adjusted his body slightly until it was pressed close to Harry’s. 

Draco wiggled his trapped arm free and slid it down along Harry’s back at the same moment his other hand slid around and began caressing Harry’s shaft. Harry gasped, then gasped even louder and jumped at Draco’s attempt to place his arousal where his finger had been. 

Draco paused, re-attacking Harry’s neck with moist caresses of lips and teeth, his hand continuing its massage. His own excitement leaped when he inhaled Harry’s woodsy scent and he tried again. 

The second attempt didn’t go much better, ‘Shit,’ Harry yelped ‘that fucking hurts,’ he complained, lifting his body upward once more.

‘Relax, Harry,’ Draco said suavely, his hand still moving over Harry’s waning arousal.

Harry was fairly certain that he could not relax enough. 

Draco didn’t wait; he plunged forward making significant headway. 

‘Ouch! Damn it!’ 

‘Relax.’ Draco cooed.

‘That’s easy enough for you to say,’ Harry responded swiftly. 

A gust of a chuckle escaped Draco, ‘just try to relax, Harry. It hurts for a few moments, but then comes the pleasure and it is simply incomparable.’

Harry believed Draco; everyone had confirmed that there was pain followed by extreme pleasure, but they had also said most of the pain could be blocked out by a little alcohol. Well he had had a lot of alcohol and his inebriation was not serving to block the pain at all. Draco continued moving behind him, but now very slowly - barely at all in fact - and his hand rubbed a soothing motion over Harry’s arousal.

For Draco, it was a slow process; Harry seemed to have a low threshold for pain, lower than his and that of the other wizard the Slytherin had been with. However, Harry finally began to relax, the tenseness draining from his body and Draco managed to work his way inside. 

Harry released his stranglehold on Draco’s thigh, certain that he’d dug craters into the soft skin with his short nails. Draco’s movement became more fluid and Harry noted the deeper, slow thrusts were growing less and less painful. And then it happened. Just as Draco had promised, as everyone had sworn would be the case. Draco’s arousal touched something inside that set a surge of pleasure running through him. 

Harry gasped again, this time with what could only be called extreme pleasure and Draco smiled lightly behind him. He was relieved that Harry had finally began to feel pleasure in their act; he wasn’t certain how much longer he would be able to last. That wasn’t generally a problem, but the tightness encapsulating his arousal, the time it had taken to get it there and Harry’s sudden reaction to the pleasure he felt, was all serving to intensify his excitement. Harry relaxed into his hold and he slowly began to increase his pace.

A relaxed Harry was surprisingly sensual; the languid movement of his lithe frame against Draco’s body ignited the Slytherin’s lust and more unexpectedly, his passion. Draco had planned to do all of the seducing, but it was obvious that Harry was used to having that role. 

Draco had a firm hold on the Gryffindor; driving from behind while his hand stroked Harry and his mouth nipped along his neck. Harry was clearly enjoying it if the small sounds escaping his throat were anything to go by, but he began struggling against the Slytherin’s hold. Draco resisted, using his body to urge Harry to remain tucked in place, his mouth insistent, his hand coercive, but the Gryffindor ignored his silent demands. Harry twisted around to capture Draco’s mouth and his hand followed, caressing his flushed cheek. Harry’s kiss was fire-hot, full of raw hunger and greed and his hand left a trail of heat as it descended slowly from cheek, to neck, to shoulder and along Draco’s body, leaving his nerves standing on end. Their small battle for control had been short lived, but intoxicating. Harry had won. Draco had let him. 

Draco’s skin was ridiculously sensitive to Harry’s touch; the slender fingers lightly pulled, splayed and teased his body and within minutes, Harry had worked him into a complete frenzy. It wasn’t long before Draco came undone; his breathing shallow, his body tense and his thrusts increasingly wild. His hand fell off stroking Harry’s arousal and his mouth broke away as his passion rapidly crested. His nonstop gasps and moans grew loud and he suddenly lurched forward, totally encompassing Harry and carried them sideways as an intense climax swept through his body.

Draco buried his face against Harry’s neck, a deep groan falling from his lips and vibrating against the warm skin beneath; the woodsy scent making the moment all the more heady. 

Draco’s final thrusts had caught Harry’s sweet spot and left him floating as the Slytherin peaked behind him. Harry had never been so turned on in his life. 

The tension slowly left Draco’s body and he slipped his softening member from Harry then fell back into the couch. Moments later, Draco felt the couch moving heatedly beneath him and his eyes fluttered open. Harry was finishing himself off. Draco drew himself up and moved down to take over Harry’s exertions with his mouth. A deep, guttural moan escaped Harry’s throat in response to his action and Draco felt the Gryffindor’s body began to grow tense beneath him.

Draco had barely begun before Harry’s orgasm hit. His body went rigid and his hands came down to rest lightly against the Slytherin’s head in a silent plea for him to stay with it. Draco wasn’t going anywhere; he allowed the Gryffindor to finish before rising to lie at his side in utter exhaustion.

Harry understood; he felt like he’d been hit by a lightning bolt. His body was still tingling with excitement as he began to relax, and the last thing he recalled was the feel of the Slytherin’s calf coming to rest against his own before blackness overtook him.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Harry awoke the first thing he noticed was the tremendous pain stabbing at his head. Shortly thereafter he adjusted his body a little and felt the keen pain to his rear. 

He’d done it, he thought, the purportedly straight Harry Potter was just a little more crooked this morning. He smiled at the memory – that had been as wicked as promised. Then he immediately ceased thinking about it. Draco had apparently left for his own bed at some point, although his clothes from the evening before were still lying on the ground next to Harry’s.

Harry edged his body upward knocking off the blanket someone had kindly placed over him and reached for his jeans. He fumbled around for his wand and grasped it a little desperately. He quickly shot a spell at his head and then one at his rear for good measure. 

The spells began working almost immediately and the Gryffindor stood up a few seconds later with next to no physical pain. He stumbled slightly as he gained his feet and slowly began to dress. Once he was clothed, he made a quick detour through the restroom and then headed toward the front door. 

Harry hoped he would be able to leave without encountering anyone and he was in luck. When he finally made it out into the sun he felt his body relax; he had managed to avoid the Slytherin and his entire household. He apparated home and immediately sunk into his private Jacuzzi, much smaller than Draco’s, but just as relaxing.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Draco headed into the front room fully expecting to have to rouse Harry from his slumber and was a little surprised to see that the Gryffindor had already left. He noted that the elves had yet to straighten the room.

He moved toward the couch intending to collect his clothes, but instead he sat down. The liquor bottle and drinking glasses were still on the table and the sight brought back a sharp memory of the evening before. 

It had been a little quizzing to him how quickly Harry had allowed himself to be seduced. He shook his head recalling that he’d set the timetable for two weeks just the previous evening. Of course they had both been pretty wasted and Harry had been the worse off of the two, but he wasn’t sure that explained how quickly it had all gone down. Still, the night had exceeded his expectations.

Draco had expected to feel the long awaited excitement, but the experience had been far more satiating than he imagined. Harry was a baby for pain and considering his past that almost seemed ludicrous. But there was something terribly fetching about it and about the entire evening. 

Draco laughed a little at the memory of Harry’s reactions and then felt a momentary trickle of excitement run through his body at the memory of the feeling Harry had generated within him once he had become accustomed to having him inside. The Gryffindor seemed to have a natural capacity for knowing how to make his partner shiver with lust, which is exactly what he’d done for Draco.

There had been nothing of the languid, almost feminine reactions of Lucian or the tense, reluctant excitement of the other man he had been with. Harry had remained Harry throughout; the newness of the adventure and even his drunkenness hadn’t affected his character or his mannerisms. There was something to be said about that, although Draco wasn’t sure exactly what it was. 

It reminded him of himself for one thing; he didn’t slip into a second character during foreplay and sex. And like him, Harry was sensual in a strong way; he had managed to draw Draco completely into the experience; something the Slytherin often did for others, but was rarely done for him.

He ran his hand over his face and catching a woodsy scent upon it, left it near his nose a little longer than intended. 

It had been everything he had hoped for; entirely satiating the aching in his soul that cried out for a masculine touch. The feeling was invigorating and the sensations it evoked were unequaled. He again began to feel that his days were numbered when it came to sleeping with women.

He moved his hand under his nose again and realized that the ache hadn’t really dissipated. He wanted more and he wanted it soon and he wanted it with Harry. The realization struck him negatively and he quickly stood and began gathering his clothes. 

He’d never fallen into the trap of feeling an ongoing desire for one person and he had no intention of starting now; no matter how good, or distinct or satiating the experience had been. He liked to spread his wings and keep them spread and he didn’t want any attachments. Perhaps he and Harry could get together again one day in the future…the distant future…that would be best. A sporadic affair like he’d enjoyed with Lucian. 

He hoped Harry felt the same way. Draco enjoyed their relationship and wouldn’t like to see it marred by negativity stemming from their getting together for a little fun. Considering Harry’s character, it was likely he was thinking the same thing. Of course it was always possible that Harry, like his last male lover, would decide against ever being with a man again. 

Draco abruptly stood up and gripping his clothes tightly in his hands, he strode from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry spent the morning doing things about the house. He fed his owl, Hedwig; used various spells to repair odds and ends about his home; and had a huge breakfast. He then wand-called Ron and invited him over to watch the foreign games on his wide magical screen. 

Wand calling was all the rage among the younger wizards and witches; one simply put an enchantment on their wand that could send and take messages from those you included in the spell. Older wizards were catching onto the convenience more slowly. It was one of many new spells that were permeating society; with the war ended, the ministry was once again focused on the furtherance of magic and had a department and talented staff dedicated to creating new spells, enchantments and other magic. 

Ron turned up about a half hour later and the two settled on the couch in Harry’s den to watch the series of out of town and foreign games that would be broadcast.

Harry still shared everything with his best mate and his adventure from the evening before with Draco was no exception. 

Harry took a swig of beer and crunched on a chip before turning to Ron, ‘so I didn’t go home last night after the party.’

Ron made a slightly vulgar expression, ‘had your way with one of the tarts, eh?’

‘Not exactly,’ Harry hedged.

Ron raised his brows in question.

‘Do you remember what Michael Corner was talking about at the Rooster a while back? What he said he had tried out with Lucian, Draco’s friend?

Ron went immobile, staring at Harry as his mind clicked through Michael, Lucian and finally on the topic of their conversation once more. His brows moved upward another notch, ‘you and Michael?’ 

‘Na-o,’ responded Harry, his head motion accompanying the word indicating his friend was way off.

‘But you were with a guy last night?’ Ron’s voice held mild surprise.

Harry nodded briefly.

Ron’s lips formed a quick smile and then laughter rang from his throat, ‘really?’ he asked through his mirth, ‘with whom?’

‘Draco Malfoy.’

A small amount of incredulity flittered across Ron’s features for a moment, but then his laughter took over again, ‘you’re kidding?’

‘Nope.’

‘Shit,’ Ron said, still unable to contain his laughter.

Harry watched his friend laughing and a small, whimsical smile played about his mouth.

Ron finally got a hold of himself, ‘how the hell did you end up with Malfoy last night? And in the sack of all things?’

The magical screen roared and both Harry and Ron turned to look at it. The Guerriers, the foreign team they favored for the match had scored.

‘Woot!’ roared Ron.

‘Yeah!’ Harry yelled at the same time.

They sat and watched the replay they had missed.

‘Sweet move,’ Harry mused, watching the player celebrating his success.

‘That’s Terry Bullard, just got drafted to the team; he looks pretty dangerous.’

Harry nodded.

Ron turned to his friend again once the game resumed, ‘so what exactly happened last night? Last I recall you were talking with my teammates.’

Harry laughed a little and began to recount the details of the evening, a fairly straight forward, unemotional account much like the way Michael had related his escapade with a man to them previously.

‘Damn!’ Ron exclaimed when he finished, ‘that is just…’ Ron shook his head and immediately broke into laughter again.

‘It isn't that fuckin’ funny, mate,’ Harry said a little grimly. 

Ron sobered a bit, ‘actually it is,’ he chuckled again, ‘I know Draco is a pretty cool bloke these days, but it is still hard to imagine you and him snuggling up for a shag.’ 

Harry shrugged, ‘Michael was right about one thing; the experience is pretty wicked.’

‘I beg to differ,’ Ron said and had the good grace to flush a little. 

‘You do? And you didn’t tell me?’

Ron’s smiled, biting at his lip, ‘because it was…it was nothing really, one crazy night. You remember when William and I went to the Americas as Quidditch Ambassadors for their first games?'

Harry nodded slowly.

'Yeah well, we got pretty toasted the night before we were to return and we got to talking about Michael and Lucian’s adventure - and well we decided to watch these movies they had at the Muggle hotel on the topic and well - one thing led to another..." 

Harry chuckled, ‘you and Bill?’ His chuckle turned into genuine laughter at the thought of Ron and the very large and rather ungainly, Bill going at it. 

‘No stranger than you and Malfoy.’

Harry titled his head in acknowledgement, ‘but Bill? He’s an animal!’ 

‘You can say that again,’ Ron said, his face screwing up a little at the memory, ‘it was painful and to be perfectly honest with you, pretty disgusting. Bill is…well you know how he is. If I hadn’t been drunk off my arse I would have never done it.’

Harry’s expression was a mixture of understanding and revulsion.

‘The whole experience was miserable and…yeah, disgusting,’ Ron continued, his tone souring, ‘never again! No matter how wicked you blokes claim it is.’ 

'Pretty damn wicked,' Harry confirmed softly.

However, Ron was paying him scant attention; his expression grew introspective, 'the thing is, I love all the foreplay, you know, the kissing and touching and stuff. You only get that with a soft, feminine beauty beneath you...' 

Harry shook his head slowly in denial, but Ron didn't appear to notice.

‘...and even if it felt good,' Ron continued 'the whole slam, bam, wham, aspect of it is just not as cool as sex with a slim, sexy vixen squirming beneath you.’

‘So says a man whose broad experience encompasses one evening with an oafish brute,’ Harry laughed. 

Ron smiled, 'true - but it isn't the same as a woman.'

Harry shrugged, not wishing to debate the point further at the moment. It was all new for him and he realized he might still be a little moonstruck, but he was pretty certain he disagreed with Ron.

They trained their eyes on the screen again and Harry continued to consider the topic silently. While speaking with Ron, one thing had become clear; a one-shot wasn’t going to do it for him. That first shot was made up of a lot of pain in addition to the immeasurable pleasure and he was interested in validating his belief that the next time would be something even more wicked.

Harry and Ron finished watching the game and then the two that followed, eating food prepared by Harry’s sole house elf (the one Hermione complained to him about every time she saw him – thank god she lived in Bulgaria) and drinking a few beers.

When the final game ended, Ron suggested they head out to the Unicorn where other players would gather after the games. Harry agreed and Ron apparated home to change while Harry moved upstairs to his bedroom. 

Harry’s thoughts returned to his jaunt into the world of masculine mating and a wry smile crossed his lips when he thought about repeating the experience. He had really meant for it to be a one-time thing. He had no idea he was going to enjoy it as much as he had. 

In his opinion, Draco had been the perfect person to try it out with. They got on well and Draco was very experienced. Harry decided that if he were going to try it out again, it should be with the Slytherin. 

It was so much easier than sleeping with women in a way. Harry recalled the many women he’d slept with who had later tried to make more of the relationship. It was something he really hated dealing with and as a result he had begun making his intentions clear prior to stepping into bed with them - at least when he was sober enough to remember to do so. 

In this situation he could avoid all of that and still have all of the lustful fun. He genuinely liked Draco as a person; the Slytherin was quick on the uptake, had a similar dark sense of humor, and interestingly, a similar sense of fun. He understood why so many witches and wizards seemed to fall for the Slytherin and he supposed if he wasn’t careful he could end up numbering himself among them, but careful had long been his middle name.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Unicorn was crowded as usual and Harry joined his team at their table after stopping to talk to Ron for a while. He got into a discussion with Blaise about strategy and neither joined in with those issuing loud barbs at other teams across the tables. 

Harry noticed Draco come in, an hour or so after he had, but merely glanced at him before turning his eyes back to Blaise. Draco hadn’t been looking his way, so they never made eye contact and he noticed that through the night, Draco seemed less verbose than normal. He appeared to have become engaged in an intense conversation with a couple of his teammates.

Harry and Blaise talked for some time with their captain, Michael joining in their conversation and the night grew late. Players started leaving, heading out for other locales and the number remaining dwindled significantly. Ron made his way over to the Dragon table, his mates all having taken off and sat down and joined in the conversation. A couple of guys from the Wingers, the other London based team did the same.

Harry saw the Slayer table break up and watched Draco and one of their beaters move toward the Dragon table. Draco met his eyes as he approached the table and sent a quick nod in his direction. Harry winked at him, which Draco seemed to find amusing as a moue of a smile momentarily crossed his face. The Slayer teammates sat down and the small group of eight players and three girls that had been a part of the Dragon table all night, continued drinking and talking for another hour.

‘The night grows late, and we are still here,’ Michael said loudly over the chatter, yawning.

‘Yeah, this is a bust,’ one of the Wingers, Mal, agreed.

‘Where shall we go?’ Ron asked, slugging down the rest of his beer.

‘The Rooster?’ Michael suggested.

Most of the table groaned and Draco spoke up, ‘I heard they opened a new little place in the South – the Wizard’s Robe I think it’s called. They say it is small but supposedly pretty wicked, lots of loose women and men or whatever else you might like.’

A few lewd comments met his words, but within a few minutes they were headed for the new club.

The Wizard’s Robe was almost as subdued as the Unicorn had been except that there were many more people present. Wizards and witches were seated at tables grouped about the room, drinking and talking. The music was turned down low, nearly drowned out by the chatter.

The eleven newcomers grabbed pitchers and glasses from the bar, found a table and sat down. 

‘Well this looks lively,’ Ron muttered in a bored tone.

‘A real party,’ Michael agreed, rolling his eyes while ringing his finger in the air in a mockery of celebration.

‘Hey,’ Draco said shrugging, ‘I just heard about it opening up, I didn’t say it was any good.’

The others began a small bout of ridicule, but Draco took it in stride.

‘I say we finish up these beers and head over to the Roost or maybe the Naked Maiden, haven’t been there for a while,’ commented Mal.

‘I say we go give the Veelas another try,’ Ron commented, ‘I swear, one of them nearly left with me the other night.’

Harry began what turned into a chorus of groans.

‘Or we can just stay here and drink,’ suggested one of the girls.

‘I’m going home after this beer,’ Draco said dryly. 

‘Like hell you are,’ Blaise roared, ‘it’s Saturday night you boring fuck.’

Draco grimaced at his friend and took another swig of his beer, ‘not in the mood,’ he murmured.

‘At least one more pitcher first,’ Blaise said, his tone quarrelsome. 

Draco conceded and the pitcher of beer turned into seven pitchers of hellfire spirits during which the group, which had expanded to include a few more females, loudly discussed a variety of topics. Some of the players began propositioning the girls sitting with them and by the time the seventh pitcher was bottoming out, most the players had taken off for greener pastures with the girls in tow. 

Harry had been propositioned by the girl seated on his left and another, on his right, left no doubt that she’d gladly bed him if he wished, but he’d not bitten and both had left with other players. Neither girl had been Harry’s cup of tea, but that was only half the reason for his reluctance. His eyes kept drifting to Draco’s hands and he was only a little surprised at the effect they still seemed to have over his libido. The more he drank, the more he thought about a replay of the night before. However, propositioning Draco tonight seemed a little precipitate considering they had just humped like rabbits the night before and it wasn’t like the Slytherin had been at all encouraging during the night. Harry didn’t want to appear too eager, although, in all honesty he rather was.

The hour grew ridiculously late; only Draco, Blaise, Harry, Ron and Michael remained at the table. They were all quite drunk and boisterous and despite all of that, they ordered another pitcher of hellfire spirits and continued loudly boasting about their best Quidditch plays, including those made during their school days. Harry and Draco did most of the talking telling embellished stories and outright lies about miracle plays they’d made as seekers back at Hogwarts.

Ron finally arose unsteadily from his seat and declared he was going home. It was half past four in the morning and there was little else one could do. Harry stood and indicated he’d go with him and the others began rising as well.

Harry followed Ron from the bar while the others hung back a bit. When they arrived outside Ron turned to him, nearly tripping in the attempt and smiled drunkenly.

‘You want to come by for a few?’ The words slurred out nicely.

Harry chuckled, ‘and watch you pass out?’

A look of disgust passed over Ron’s face, ‘bollocks! I’m stout as a trout.’ He began running, crossing the road in front of the bar and jumping onto a low wall lining the stores on the opposite side to prove his point.

Harry jogged behind, watching his friend stumble along the low wall, arms akimbo. 

‘You’re bloody rat-arsed,’ he scolded when he caught up, laughing all the while at his friends antics. 

‘Oh, maybe a bit of,’ Ron muttered, somewhat out of breath, ‘but no more than you.’

Harry laughed again, it was true. However, he held his liquor a bit better. Not that that was saying much; there were few who couldn’t hold their liquor better than Ron.

Ron jumped down, smiling brightly, ‘see? Astounding control!’

‘Yeah, I see perfectly,’ Harry responded wryly, ‘I’m off to the pit,’ he declared, using the fond nickname he’d christened his home with.

‘Alrighty then,’ Ron responded, pulling out his wand, ‘you’re loss! Toodles.’

Harry watched Ron apparate, wondering if he would end up splinching himself as he had on previous occasions. He pulled out his own wand and just as he was about to apparate he saw Blaise, Michael and Draco leave the bar. 

Harry stood a moment watching Draco take his leave of his mates before disappearing. He felt a twist of regret at the sight, but suppressed the thought and apparated to the front hall of his home. 

When Harry arrived he noted that Hedwig had left a couple of letters on the entryway table and he moved to retrieve them. 

One was from Hermione and it was extremely long and the writing cramped. He loved her to death, but deciphering a letter from her after a night of drinking was out of the question. He replaced it and picked up the other letter. It was from his godfather, Sirius, whose large handwriting would be easy to decipher. He eagerly opened the note and grinned appreciatively at the news that Sirius and Remus were coming for a visit the next day. 

With all of the tragedy that had befallen Harry during the war, there had been a few bright spots. One was that many of his loved ones had survived and another was the little miracle of his godfather’s miraculous return to him after he had been assumed dead. Not only had he returned, but he’d returned whole. Sirius had spent a long stint in Azkaban prison prior to his “death” and his mental state had been tenuous at best, but the circumstances of his return had facilitated a full mental recovery.

Sirius and Remus had been like an anchor to Harry after the war and supported his decision to play for the Dragons…and enjoy all of the debauchery that accompanied it. Harry loved them both dearly and looked forward to their arrival the next afternoon. The thought of their coming filled Harry with happiness and something else. 

The careless, rather ribald side of his godfather’s nature was rubbing off on Harry by the mere casualty of the letter having arrived. He suddenly reached the conclusion that two nights in a row of merry sex with merry Malfoy wouldn’t be such a tasteless thing to pursue after all. 

Harry’s fire-spirit addled mind was busily replaying the memory of his godfather marching up to Remus at his welcome back party, grabbing him and snogging him like there was no tomorrow. It had been his manner of announcing to the wizard world at large that they were a couple. Well Harry too could be so bold, he thought, like godfather, like godson. 

He laid down the letter and grasped the wand he still held a little tighter and apparated.

Harry arrived in front of Draco’s home a moment later and knocked on the door, a bit more loudly than appropriate for the pre-dawn hours.

It was opened rather quickly by a house elf who looked wide awake and greeted Harry as if it were mid-day and not at all strange or downright insane for one to go calling on ones friends at five o’clock in the morning.

‘Is Draco in?’ Harry inquired.

‘I’ll just have a gander; back in a wink,’ replied the elf.

She sauntered off and left a rather bemused Harry standing on the front porch. He’d rather expected more formality.

Draco himself arrived in short order and pulled the door open. He wore a brocade night robe and his eyes carried the marks of drunk-induced sleepiness mixed with discontent at being interrupted from finding his bed. 

‘Up for a drink?’ Harry asked, his voice carrying way to much cheer for the occasion.

Draco looked at him with a hint of disgruntlement invading his expression, ‘it’s five o’ clock in the morning, damn it!’

Harry inclined his head in acknowledgment.

Draco’s face took on a slightly mulish look, ‘listen Potter, I’m sleeping alone tonight.’

Harry stared at Draco for a couple of seconds and then his familiar wide smile began stretching across his features as he continued to meet the Slytherin’s eyes. ‘So you are,’ he said matter-of-factly and the second the words were out of his mouth, he disappeared.

Draco stood staring at the air where Harry had been. He was a little taken aback at the abrupt disaparation. That was not what Draco had expected; not at all. Damn if the idiot hadn’t even tried. Not that trying would have gotten him anywhere, and perhaps it was his ego propelling the sensation of disquiet that had settled over him, but everyone who had ever propositioned him and failed in the past had at least given it a good, healthy go. 

He stepped back inside and slammed the door. 

A little house elf appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, ‘going out then, sir?’

‘Do I bloody look like I’m going out?’ Draco yelled, his tone furious.

‘I wouldn’t be knowing about that,’ said the house elf, not at all bothered by her employer’s moods; they shifted like the sands of the desert.

‘I am going out in my night robe?’ Draco asked sarcastically, continuing to expel his irritation.

The elf regarded Draco from head to toe, ‘I’d recommend shoes,’ she responded smartly.

After a moment, Draco’s laughter bubbled up. He was lucky to have found his house elves; they were a crazy, stubborn lot, but that suited him well. He paid them generously, but in fact, the elves that ran his household were terribly fond of their employer and that fondness was reciprocated.

Draco turned and trundled up the stairs toward his master suite. He began thinking that he perhaps should have been a little less rude with Potter. Not that he had ever cared about proper after-shagging manners, but there was some merit to the notion that one should at least be decent about denying subsequent sex to a person when you’d been the first to bugger him. 

Draco shrugged his robe off onto the floor and moved toward the bed. If Harry had been a bit more persistent, he thought, he would have likely adjusted his attitude and taken a bit of the sting out of his refusal. 

He wondered if Harry would be upset about it and after a small amount of consideration decided that perhaps he would be a bit of, but knowing the Gryffindor he would shrug it off and move on. 

Move on…now there was a thought. Draco considered who Harry might seek out next; who would be next to breathe in that woodsy scent, listen to him choking out those little gasping sounds of pleasure, feel the insane, delightful tightness and have their nerves set on end at his touch…

Draco squeezed his eyes closed and fell against the mattress of his large bed, grabbing a pillow and pulling it over his head. Speculative thinking at 5 a.m. had never been a friend of his. He closed his eyes and determinedly thought of the night sky – a moonless one.


	5. Chapter 5

Sirius Black was sound of mind and spirit having overcome a harrowing escape from death. Upon his return to the wizard world some five years previous, he had jumped right back into the thick of things, pursuing certain causes with impressive zeal. 

The first cause he embraced was the complete overhaul of the Azkaban system. Although the Dementors had been ousted from its walls since the war, the Ministry had been determined to continue the practice of inflicting torture on its prisoners. With his godson, the war hero’s support, Sirius fought with a good number of like-thinking wizards to successfully reform Azkaban into a high security prison free of torture. 

Sirius’ next cause had been more personal; he sought to improve the standing of werewolves in the wizard community. All of the crusaders from his first effort stuck with him and together with the newly elected Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, they successfully had laws prejudicing werewolves stripped from the books. In addition, Sirius used a portion of his immense fortune toward improvement of the Wolfsbane potion based on a French standard. Now werewolves could not only retain their human minds while transforming under direct moonlight, they could do so without the immense pain that had accompanied it in the past. The French also had potions that eased many aspects of werewolf life, which Sirius had mass produced. As a result of these changes, it had become easier for them to find employment and live within the wizard world.

Some felt Sirius was going to become one of the great crusaders of the era; fostering changes within the wizard community that were long overdue. However, with the two things that mattered most to him accomplished, Sirius released the reins of seriousness and immediately fell out of the forefront of society and into a cozy, carefree and rather undomesticated life of leisure with his lover, Remus. 

As the more astute in society observed, could you really expect anything less from an ex-Marauder? His fellow crusaders had thrown up their hands in disgust at his defection, fuming that they hadn’t recognized Sirius Black for the frivolous miscreant he’d always been. They moved on to their next project, assisting the Centaurs, without him and thereafter any member who attempted to retire from their ranks was nastily accused of ‘pulling a Black.’ 

Despite his move toward frivolity, Sirius did take his responsibility as Harry’s godfather seriously. However, his interpretation of ‘seriously’ may not have been exactly what Harry’s parents, James and Lily had in mind when granting him guardianship. Nonetheless, Sirius was deeply fond of his godson, so though some of his advice to Harry likely had James and Lily giving him severe kicks in the arse from the wizard after-world, his heart was in the right place.

When Sirius and Remus arrived at Harry’s home, the door flew open before they had crossed the porch and Harry raced out to greet them. Sirius enveloped Harry in a warm hug, rocking him back and forth a little.

‘I’ve missed you,’ he said a little hoarsely.

‘I’ve missed you too, Sirius,’ Harry responded, his tone awash with sincerity. 

Sirius slowly released him and his eyes began to twinkle, ‘so, what have you got to eat?’ he asked rubbing his hands together before him.

‘Padfoot,’ Remus chided as he too was enveloped in one of Harry’s warm, welcoming, hugs, which he returned with equal fervor.

‘Don’t tell me you allowed that little bookworm to talk you out of keeping an elf around to help,’ Sirius said to Harry as Remus released him.

‘Bookworm?’ Remus’ pragmatic stare and tone indicated his displeasure; he was rather fond of books himself as Sirius well knew.

‘You’re not a bookworm Moony, you just enjoy reading books. Hermione on the other hand, I think…I think she eats them.’

Remus gave his partner a disapproving look, but he joined in Harry’s laughter.

‘Ubin is still living with me,’ Harry said through his mirth, ‘in fact; last time Hermione was here and tried to get him to leave he put pepper in her pumpkin juice.’

Sirius and Remus both laughed.

‘And yes, he has prepared a huge early dinner for us. I figured you would be hungry, you always are when you arrive.’ 

‘Apparation does that to a man,’ Sirius responded in his low rollicking tone.

‘Apparation, walking, talking, waking up; everything makes you hungry,’ Remus’ teased.

Sirius rounded on Remus with hunger leaping from his stomach into his eyes, ‘true, and not only for food.’ 

Remus’ dark eyes were quite in sync with his lovers’ innuendo for a moment, but then he quickly collected himself. ‘You were saying that Ubin has dinner ready?’ he asked, turning to face Harry.

Harry chuckled and led them into the small dining room where they settled around the comfortable table to a delicious meal.

‘I’m so glad you decided to come. I hope this doesn’t mean you aren’t coming round for Christmas in a few months. I am still looking forward to your both being here.’ Harry said once they were seated.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll be here,’ Sirius assured him, ‘we decided to come up now because Nicolas Benet is in town carrying out some work for the Ministry and we wanted to see him – do you remember him?’

Harry nodded, ‘of course. How could I forget him?’ Sirius and Remus smiled; it was very unlikely Harry would forget Nicolas; for several of reasons. 

Nicolas Benet was a French detective that had garnered fame in recent years solving mysteries for the French Ministry of Magic. His efforts were so successful that Ministries worldwide sought to engage his services. 

However, what made him unforgettable for most was that Nicolas Benet was a tremendously handsome man. Beauty ran in the Benet family, but it seemed as if the good fairy of looks had unleashed the entire contents of her wand upon him. 

For Harry it was much more personal; the detective had been instrumental in facilitating Sirius’ return. Harry looked forward to seeing him again.

‘We are planning to stay a week or so,’ Sirius continued, ‘the new moon is upon us, so we’ll be out of commission for an evening or so, but I figure a week will give us plenty of time to catch up with you and meet up with Nicolas.’

‘Perfect,’ Harry said, planning to con them into a longer stay.

‘So what have you been up to, Harry?’ Remus asked.

‘Not much,’ Harry responded, ‘more of the same; practice, games, partying.’

Sirius gave a bark of laughter, ‘hopefully partying in equal proportion with the rest. From what I have heard, you Quidditch lot are fairly wild.’

‘No more than anyone else,’ Harry responded.

‘Liar,’ Sirius declared roundly. 

Harry shrugged a little, conceding his godfather the point.

‘Don’t get me wrong, I think its great Harry; you should have as much fun as you can before you settle down. And I daresay you’ll settle down because it’s in your genes, just like your father, but even he managed to sow a few wild oats first.’ Sirius paused and looked at the ceiling, ‘well quite a few wild oats if I remember correctly, there were a number of-’

‘Padfoot,’ Remus cut in, ‘don’t start in with the sordid details.’

‘I like hearing the sordid details,’ Harry grinned.

‘Well if memory serves most of the stories you have heard were embellished by your godfather’s vivid imagination.’ Remus glared at Sirius, but there was fondness lurking in the depths of his eyes.

Sirius shrugged and laughed a bit, ‘what’s the point of telling a boring tale?’ 

Harry grinned, ‘you have to admit that the exaggerated stories make for fine entertainment.’ 

‘He’s just upset because in all the stories he is off reading somewhere while James and I have all the fun.’ Sirius advised.

Remus rolled his eyes, but his lips were eased in a smile.

Harry’s wide smile remained as well. He felt a warm glow about his home when his godfather and Remus came to visit and felt that they were right in that he would one day settle down. He loved the thought of being surrounded by loved ones and the careless chatter allowed by familiarity. 

‘So Harry,’ Remus said a bit louder in an attempt to override the topic, ‘are you seeing anyone special?’

‘No,’ Harry said quickly. 

‘Balling a new one every night, eh?’ Sirius raised a brow.

A little of the mirth slipped from Harry’s features, which didn’t escape the notice of those present. 

‘Umm,’ Sirius mused.

Harry suddenly found his salad very interesting. He wanted to tell them of his new found enjoyment of same sex relations, but then they would ask questions. Questions like, “with whom” and he had a feeling that his answer wouldn’t sit well with his godfather. Old grudges die hard. 

‘So who is she?’ Sirius asked, his tone knowing.

Harry looked up, ‘no one, really,’ he replied. 

‘What’s with the sudden shyness? Sirius asked, chuckling a little. He stared at Harry’s head until the green eyes met his once more, ‘so are you going to tell us?’ 

‘It isn’t anyone – and it isn’t anything at all really,’ Harry said finally, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant, ‘I just…I just tried something new, that’s all.’

‘Something new?’ Sirius pressed.

‘Padfoot, he very obviously doesn’t wish to speak about it,’ Remus interjected.

‘Well he has no bloody choice but to do so now. Something new you say, Harry?’

Harry looked up and grinned, ‘I slept with Draco Malfoy.’

There was a moment of stunned silence, but Remus quickly recovered. ‘Draco Malfoy?’ he repeated, a slow smile creasing his features ‘he’s a good looking-’ 

‘I didn’t see that coming at all,’ Sirius cut in, his voice a gasp above a whisper. His fork, loaded with a nice bite of food, hung suspended in midair.

Harry’s wide smile returned and the bit of hesitation he’d felt evaporated, ‘well it is nothing really, just gave it a go, that’s all.’

'This is Lucius Malfoy’s son?’ Sirius asked, his tone carrying a little disgust.

Harry nodded, ‘we are friends now; he plays for the Slayers.’

‘Makes perfect sense to me,’ Remus said, cutting into his pie, ‘you players are in one another’s company all of the time and it’s only natural that-’ 

‘But with a Malfoy?’ Sirius interjected, cutting Remus off mid-stride again.

Remus frowned, ‘well there’s dashed little the lad can do about his surname, Padfoot, it isn’t like he is his father or anything. His entire family and likely most of his friends are sitting quite prettily in Azkaban, but Draco made a turn about during the war, you know that.’ 

‘Besides,’ Harry added, ‘it isn’t anything serious.’ There was no need to expound on how much he’d enjoyed the experience; how the memory of that night seemed to flitter with increasing frequency through his mind; and how he planned to go back for more.

Sirius’ frown dissipated and of a sudden he lifted his brows and shrugged, ‘well, at least it wasn’t a Snape,’ he muttered before biting into the pie that had been precariously close to falling from his fork.

Harry laughed and Remus chuckled as well. They well knew that Sirius’ hatred for Severus Snape hadn’t dissipated in the least over the years, not even with the perspective and distance garnered from his dusting with death.

‘And Harry,’ Sirius continued solemnly when their laughter abated, ‘your little experience…it’s not something new.’

Harry grinned broadly, his eyes twinkling.

The topic was allowed to drop and the rest of the meal was finished in cozy conversation and catching up with one another. When they finished, they retired to the den and watched a re-broadcast of an earlier Quidditch match.

It wasn’t long before both Remus and Sirius began dozing before the large screen and Harry discovered that neither had slept the evening before traveling to his home. He ordered them to his guest room and when they protested that they wished to visit more, he advised them that he had to go out in any case for a couple of hours. 

Sirius and Remus finally gave in; they were staying an entire week and would have plenty of time to chat, not to mention the fact that they were exhausted. 

When they were comfortably ensconced in the guestroom, Harry moved to his own room and changed, donning a rather circumspect robe. Tucking his wand into the inner sleeve, he quickly departed, grabbing Hermione’s letter from the mail stand as he moved through the entry hall and into the cold evening air.

\-------------------

Draco sat waiting in the claustrophobic, dismal visiting room at Azkaban. A small, non-descript table sat before him and an empty chair faced him from the other side. It was already evening, but the lighting in the room made it seem as if large windows lined the walls letting in the noon day sun. 

Draco supposed the lighting assisted the Aurors in monitoring the visits and ensuring that visitors did not try to slip some forbidden item to the prisoners. Not that every crevice of his body hadn’t been checked before he was allowed in. The security Auror had been so very thorough this time, Draco had been tempted to press sexual molestation charges when the man finished.

He sighed again as he waited. His mother had just left after a rather trying session during which she had asked little about his life and instead expounded on the wrongs in the world that had culminated in her stay in Azkaban – as usual. He’d brought her fresh handkerchiefs with her initials embroidered in the corner as requested; she never explained what she used them for and he didn’t ask. 

He loved her dearly, though as a consequence of being touched by Voldemort, she was a bit barmy and tended to speak to him in rather harsh tones. He supposed his father’s tones would be downright full of venom as by the end of the war he and the Dark Lord had been bosom buddies, but Lucius refused to see him. 

Before that he’d seen Crabbe and Goyle, in tandem, and he’d given them Auror pre-searched and tested chocolates as he always did then sat listening to their insane ramblings. The ramblings were not a product of their incarceration; they were the same insane ramblings they’d spoken all of their lives. 

Draco had visited the same four prisoners on the first of each month during the past five years. It always left him depressed; it was a forceful reminder of a portion of his past he wished to forget. He was well aware that the slightest variance in circumstance would have seen him seated on the other side of the equation in this dingy little room – although he probably wouldn’t be sitting in here at all as there would be no one to visit any of them. 

When his mother departed he sat tapping his fingers on the table, glad he’d just one person left to visit. The rear door opened and Draco sat up in his chair with a greeting on his lips that faded when he saw that an Auror had entered the room.

Draco raised his brows in question.

‘It would seem that Severus Snape has another visitor at present. They still have about ten minutes left, if you would like to wait…?’

‘Another visitor? Draco questioned. He raked his mind trying to figure out who other than himself would possibly visit Snape in Azkaban. Snape was universally hated by the wizard world. He had quite skillfully betrayed both sides during the war, the Order and then the Death Eaters and finally the Order AND the Death Eaters simultaneously. Very slick, but not quite slippery enough to evade the Aurors who’d finally caught up with him in the end and carted his arse off to Azkaban. 

‘We are not allowed to share information regarding prisoner visits,’ the Auror responded, not unkindly. ‘If you’d like to wait, I will send him along when his other visit has finished.’ 

Draco nodded dumbly and watched the Auror leave the room, his mind caught up in a whirlwind of speculation.

Snape had been given seven years for his crimes against the Order and Ministry, reduced from ten due to his crimes against the Death Eaters, none of which included murder. He had been exonerated for the death of Dumbledore long before the war ended; that, it was discovered, had been a plot Dumbledore had devised and Snape had merely carried out the old wizard’s wishes. 

However, after that outstanding event, Snape had been left pretty much up to his own devises and from what Draco could tell, he’d muddled it up pretty badly for himself in the end. As far as Draco knew, he was the only person in the wizard world who would even consider speaking to Snape at this juncture. Apparently he was mistaken.

Exactly twelve minutes later, the door opened again and this time Snape moved into the room. He hadn’t changed much during the last five years. He looked the same as he always had, his long, black, greasy locks still hung lifelessly about his face and the ever present scowl and sneer that had creased his features as a professor were still strongly manifest.

Snape folded himself into the chair across from Draco and regarded the lad with a look of bored resolve.

‘Good evening, Professor,’ Draco said, rather respectfully under the circumstances.

‘I am not your professor,’ responded Snape, as he always did.

‘How are things?’ 

‘The same as they were last month when you visited, and the months before that and the years before that.’

‘Just two more years to your sentence, sir. Not much longer to go really.’

‘Joy,’ Snape responded dully.

Draco adjusted himself a little more comfortably against the hard chair, ‘the Auror said that you had another visitor.’

Snape’s sneer grew in depth, ‘did you think that you might be the only person in the world who took a precious moment of their day to visit the disreputable Snape?’ 

Draco’s brows moved upward slightly, ‘yes.’

‘Well it would seem that you were mistaken.’

‘Evidently. Who was your visitor?’

Snape crossed his arms over his chest, ‘now why would that be any business of yours?’

‘I was just curious.’

‘Yes, well, so you shall remain.’

‘A secret,’ Draco whispered.

‘Listen Malfoy, I should appreciate your coming to visit, but I do not. Frankly, as I have told you before, you really needn’t bother.’ 

‘It isn’t a bother; I come to see my mother and a couple of friends in any case.’

‘Well you can remove me from your list, it is likely too long as it is.’

‘Actually it isn’t. I only see four people, and you are one of them.’

‘I’m charmed, but it is unnecessary; you don’t owe me any favours.’

‘Well you saved my life. I haven’t forgotten that.’

‘Yes I did save your life. Really though, I hadn’t a choice in the matter. I had made an oath to do so and I made that oath in order to save my own skin. So you see there was nothing noble in the act whatsoever and you have nothing to be grateful for.’

‘So you have told me. Many times.’

‘Yet, still you come.’

Draco inclined his head.

Snape was silent for a few moments and then he narrowed his eyes at the younger Slytherin, ‘I have gathered from the mumblings of a disgruntled Auror that he must clean up chocolate mess from the cells of those two little ex-minions of yours. Are you supplying them with the chocolate?’

‘Crabbe and Goyle? Yes I do. They seem to appreciate it.’

Snape scowled, ‘yes, I imagine it is the least you can do for them after using them so badly all those years at Hogwarts.’

Draco’s eyes hardened a little, but he didn’t respond.

‘Not that I blame you for their ignorant decisions that landed them here,’ Snape conceded.

Draco elevated his brows and his eyes sent the unmistakable message that Crabbe and Goyle had not been the only two that ignorantly landed themselves in Azkaban.

Snape received the message loud and clear and his expression deteriorated into something a little nastier if that were possible, ‘despite the fact that I don’t require that you visit, if you are going to return again, there is something you can do for me.’ 

‘A favour?’ Draco asked, his expression a little too taunting and his tone a little too bright.

Snape scowled deeply; it was obvious that his fingers itched to throttle the lad. ‘I suppose you could call it that. I would like some chocolate.’

‘Chocolate? Really?’ Interesting that. Draco regarded Snape with narrowed eyes, ‘as I recall you always disliked chocolate. In fact, I seem to recall you remarking that chocolate is nothing more than a fowl and nasty means of clogging up the system.’

‘Be that as it may,’ Snape said derisively, ‘I would like some and if you are not willing to bring it that is fine.’

Draco’s face relaxed, ‘of course I will bring you some.’

Snape nodded briefly, ‘unless you have something else to say I would like to retire to my cell now.’

Draco stood up, ‘no, I just came to say hello as always. I will bring your chocolate shortly.’

Snape stood as well and moved quickly to the rear door without so much as a by-your-leave.

Draco frowned as he watched his ex-professor slither from the room. The man was odd at the best of times, but the request for chocolate was a novelty. Snape hated chocolate. And now Snape had another visitor; that was also something new. 

He turned and moved to the room’s other door and rapped loudly upon it. An Auror came at once and escorted him to the offices where portkeys awaited visitors to transfer them off the island. Draco’s brow remained creased as he followed the Auror. He began to wonder if the professor was planning something; something to do with chocolate. The man was a wonder at potions. An escape perhaps? He wondered if the plan, if there was a plan, had anything to do with the visitor who had been there earlier. 

Draco sighed as he moved to place his hands on the London portkey. At least Snape hadn’t gotten onto one of his rants about Potter and the Order. He had at times spent upward of ten minutes straight deriding and belittling the hero and anyone associated with him. For reasons that Draco did not wish to contemplate, that rant would have been just a touch more difficult to sit through this evening.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night had fallen by the time Harry arrived in London proper. Casting a charm that hid his wizard attire, he set out for the Ministry of Magic. 

The Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, had unsuccessfully tried to get Harry to head up the Auror Department once he’d gained office. When that failed, he extracted a promise from Harry that he would assist the Ministry in its continuous effort to advance magic. Harry generally came round for a couple of hours once or twice a week, depending on his schedule.

This evening Harry had been asked to work with others in the Department of Magic on a healing spell that they hoped would one day reverse the consequences of the Cruciatus Curse. 

When Harry arrived, he was met by Shacklebolt himself in the Ministry vestibule. ‘I’m just leaving,’ the Minister said hurriedly, ‘but I wanted to say hello; we’ve not seen each other for a while.’ 

Harry shook Kingsley’s hand. ‘It has been too long,’ he said, smiling. 

‘We could really use you here full time, Harry.’ 

Harry twisted his mouth a little.

Shacklebolt laughed, ‘I know, I know…well we appreciate the time you give us. They are awaiting you in the Department of Magic.’

Harry smiled again and took his leave of the Minister. When he arrived in the department, the staff greeted him enthusiastically and immediately dragged him into their project, teaching him an enchantment so that he could put his power behind it. 

Five years on and Harry was still somewhat bemused at the extent of his power. For years he’d believed that most of his excelled abilities were a consequence of his having been cursed by Voldemort and would die with the Dark Lord. However, all of the abilities he’d gained remained his, and more besides. 

Harry’s work for the Ministry was done in strictest confidence; the wizard world at large knew he was a powerful wizard – he’d taken down the dark lord. But in truth, they had only a small inkling of what Harry was capable of and he liked to keep it that way.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was very late by the time Draco arrived in London from Azkaban. The visits always left him depressed and in need of a few strong drinks to wash the pain away. He headed for the Unicorn, hoping that some of his mates might still be around. While the next day was a normal practice day, the Slayers’ pitch was being refilled and they had the day off.

To Draco’s surprise, none of his teammates were present, but two players were. Ron Weasley and Mal Jamison were sitting alone at a large table with a pitcher between them. He joined their table and was greeted loudly by his two Quidditch mates who appeared to have made an impromptu decision to take up drinking as a livelihood. They’d apparently been at the bar a good long while.

‘Draco, where have you been all day?’ Mal asked in a rowdy fashion, ‘everyone has come and gone and in another minute you would have missed us as well. Your teammates left for the Maiden long ago.’

‘I had some things to take care of,’ Draco responded, sitting down and accepting a mug from a passing veela waitress. 

‘Making up to some beautiful woman?’ Mal considered for a moment, ‘or a handsome man?’ he asked. 

Ron began to chuckle and Draco grinned. 

‘No, just personal shit. Unlike you two nitwits, I have other concerns beyond debauchery to see to,’ Draco responded, pouring out a beer.

Ron raised his brows, ‘that’s not what I’ve heard.’

Draco’s eyes flashed upward to meet Ron’s and then quickly down again. 

‘Oooh,’ Mal purred, ‘what’s this then? A new bird or fowl on the perch for Draco?’

Ron belatedly realized his drink was talking through his mouth and clammed up.

The silence grew rather long and Mal was looking from Draco to Ron inquiringly.

Mal finally spoke, ‘so what have you heard, Ron.’

Ron shrugged, ‘I was just pissing around.’

‘Ah. Speaking of which,’ Mal said rising, ‘be back in a flash.’ He ran off rather hurriedly toward the service.

‘Very discrete of you,’ Draco commented when he and Ron were alone.

‘Yeah, I’m a little plastered,’ Ron said apologetically.

‘Something tells me your good buddy might not like information about his personal life being bandied about at random bars.’

‘Something tells me you’re right,’ Ron responded, staring at his mug. ‘I’ve prolly had a bit too much,’ he continued, ‘and we know what that can lead to.’ 

‘Running off at the mouth?’

Ron laughed, ‘I suppose,’ he conceded, his palms hugging his mug while his thumbs worked the glass. ‘I just wasn’t thinking. That is one thing Harry will definitely want to keep under wraps.’

‘I wouldn’t know, but it is not your story to tell.’

Ron’s expression animated, ‘the media would go absolutely bonkers if they got wind of it. Harry the hero and Draco the – that is-’ Ron looked up quickly before refocusing on his mug, ‘I mean with your past and family history and all. Well the whole thing is enough to keep the rag mags in riches for months.’ 

‘Innit?’ Draco mocked.

His sarcasm was lost on Ron, who staunchly carried on, ‘imagine how upset the ladies will be; they won’t like Harry splitting his time between both sexes.’ 

‘I’m sure they’ll suffer through,’ Draco responded derisively. 

Ron nodded, seemingly oblivious to Draco’s irritation. ‘You can see why Harry wants to keep it on the down low. He has a reputation to…’ the Gryffindor began snapping his finger, his face twisted up in thought as he sought the word.

‘Manage?’ Draco supplied.

Ron ended his final snap with a finger pointed at Draco, ‘exactly!’

‘Indeed,’ Draco murmured, happy to see Mal returning. 

Draco turned the conversation to Quidditch when Mal sat down again Ron seemed happy enough to let the topic drop. The three finished the pitcher then turned their footsteps homeward.

Draco thought about joining his teammates at the Maiden, but changed his mind and apparated home. He went straight to his suite and began tossing off his clothing while considering Weasley’s words. He hoped the drunken Weasley was mistaken about Potter not wanting word of their encounter getting out on account of his background and family history, but he probably wasn't. Potter managing his reputation was one thing; inventing it was another.

It irked Draco that Potter would dwell on his past when it no longer held any significance whatsoever. It was true that the voracious media would scrutinize, dissect and publish embellished accounts of their getting together as they’d done with every female they’d determined the hero had been with. None of those females had been high profile Quidditch players, but it wouldn’t be the first time that had happened.

However, Ron was correct about one thing; tabloids looking for shock value would focus on Draco being a reformed death eater, who was now mating, dating or marrying the war hero – depending on how far the rag wanted to take it. Perhaps Potter didn’t want to deal with the added burden of questions on that particular topic, but then why choose to be with him when there were literally thousands of dull wizards with pristine backgrounds that would have happily fucked him.

He looked down at the scar on his forearm; the remnants of his dark mark, barely visible through the charm he regularly cast over it. Maybe, Draco thought, his past was the reason Potter wanted to fuck him – perhaps it fulfilled one of the Gryffindor’s dark, secret fantasies. He grinned a little at that; oh the irony if it were true – but he knew it wasn’t – that was way too far-fetched for the indomitable Potter.

Draco sighed. He was who he was. If Potter had hang-ups about his past, fuck him. He’d already given way too much thought to what was a casual fling. Potter could take his reputation and go to the devil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art for story: http://cecedecat.deviantart.com/art/Harry-and-Draco-The-Lion-and-the-Dragon-553998169


	6. Chapter 6

Draco’s bout of irritation over Harry’s attempt to keep up his reputation faded with the morning sun. He chuckled to himself a little remembering how he’d worked himself up a bit the evening before. He supposed it was a result of his visit to Azkaban and his resultant depression.

That brought to mind his promise to bring Snape chocolates. He had the day off and he decided to make a trip to Central Wizarding London to purchase some. He fire called Blaise from his bedroom and cajoled his friend into accompanying him before Quidditch practice. 

Wizard London was busy as usual and the two stood for some time in a rather long line at a new confectioner’s store before finally arriving at the counter. The store sold imported candies from all over the world and Draco purchased a unique box of chocolate sweets from Denmark. The owner claimed they were one of a kind and would certainly endear Draco to the heart of whomever he chose to give them to.

Horrified, Draco asked the salesman if they were enchanted.

‘No, no!’ uttered the man hurriedly, ‘I didn’t mean to imply that. Merely that anyone tasting the high quality of these particular chocolates will be very thankful.’

‘Fine then,’ Draco said, relieved, ‘I’ll take them.’

The chocolates were individually and quite elegantly wrapped and partitioned in a beautiful box, but the salesman sealed them in yet another lovely box before exchanging them with Draco for a good portion of his pocket money.

When the Slytherins left the store, Blaise turned to his friend, ‘so who is the lucky recipient?’

‘Actually they are for Snape,’ he responded.

‘Snape?’ Blaise frowned, ‘Snape hates chocolates.’

‘I know, but he asked me for them when I visited him yesterday. Wanted them pretty bad I would say because…well he is not one to ask for favours.’

Blaise nodded, his brow still creased, ‘odd,’ he mused.

Draco chuckled, ‘could be that he is planning to mix up an escape potion.’

Blaise rolled his eyes, ‘not a chance. The Ministry conceded to the no torture bit for prisoners when Black was raising hell over it a while back, but with prisoners in better shape, they had to increase the security. These days, no one, not even a wizard the likes of Dumbledore or…Harry could get out of the place.’

Draco shrugged, ‘yeah, I have no idea what he wants with the chocolate. Perhaps he has developed a sweet tooth.’

‘Snape?’ Blaise’s laughter rang out loudly as they walked through the crowd.

Draco joined in. There was nothing sweet about Snape, teeth or otherwise.

‘So you guys are off today?’ Blaise asked.

‘Yeah, double practice tomorrow; they are filling our pitch.’

‘Come on over with me– we don’t have practice either; we are recording broadcast teasers for the game next week at a public pitch, so you can watch and it should not take too long. We can head over to the Unicorn together afterward.’

Draco would normally turn down what sounded to be a boring morning, but a small grin lit the Slytherin’s features, ‘Alright,’ he agreed. Potter would definitely be there filming as the team’s hero-seeker. While Draco’s irritation had faded, there was nothing in the world to stop him from teasing the Gryffindor a bit about the things he had likely said to Weasley and what Draco felt was a misplaced concern for his reputation. 

When Draco and Blaise arrived at the public pitch they were immediately besieged by the press. They were plied with questions about the upcoming game and Draco was grilled on why he’d come to the Dragon’s film day – was he to be a part of the shoot? Did he hope to gain an advantage on his rivals by watching them? Draco limited his answers to remarks about the game and expected competition. 

The two players extracted themselves from the media after five minutes or so and moved to the bleachers where players were seated waiting to be filmed. Other players were already filming, including Harry. He was flying around after a snitch, using a number of gutsy and what would be for lesser skilled wizards, dangerous moves for the cameras surrounding him at every angle. 

Blaise went off to change and Draco sat watching Harry, who with himself and about 20 other players worldwide, was considered among the best flyers in the sport. Draco had grudgingly acknowledged his technical brilliance and aptitude in both flight and maneuver long before, but watching him from the perspective of the bleachers was something he rarely got to do as he was usually flying in a game with him or watching him in rebroadcast games on the magical screen. 

Harry filmed for about fifteen minutes before other players joined in flight with him for action shots, all of which were scripted and rather boring. After about five minutes Draco was bored out of his skull and began dozing off under the warm midday sun. He lowered himself to the bleacher and lay looking at the sky until his eyes drifted closed. 

Draco was jerked awake sometime later by a loud buzzing sound about his ears. He sat up quickly and scowled as the laughing face of Potter arose above him, a snitch flying about him.

Draco noticed that a few Dragon’s were still filming, but many had already departed the pitch, although the press was still around snapping photos. Indeed, photos of the Dragon seeker buzzing the Slayer seeker from his nap would appear in the late edition sports sections.

Draco swatted at the snitch, which adroitly avoided his swipes and was deftly caught by the laughing Gryffindor. ‘Watch that the snitch doesn’t catch you sleeping next weekend at our game,’ Harry razzed.

‘The only thing I have to watch is you,’ Draco remarked, sitting up, ‘closely. I really like my bollocks just as they are.’

Harry chuckled, ‘I rather like them just as they are too,’ he commented a little vulgarly.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the Gryffindor, ‘you do, do you?’

Harry gave a quick incline of the head.

‘I figured as much, seeing as you made that second little pre-dawn visit to my home for more.’

‘Yeah,’ Harry said slowly, his trademark grin making its appearance, ‘sorry ‘bout that, I was plastered.’

Draco shrugged.

‘Was a bit late,’ Harry conceded.

‘a bit.’

Harry laughed, ‘yeah, well you know, I just wanted to have another drink – extend the party a little.’

‘I throw parties from time to time Potter, but I don’t throw masquerade balls.’

Harry’s laughter faded to a chuckle, his brow crinkling with confusion, ‘masquerade balls?’

Draco’s tone was deliberate, ‘if you want to play with me, it will be out in the open.’

Harry pursed his lips for a moment, ‘is there some reason you believe I want it any other way?’

‘Your good buddy Weasley was giving me an earful at the Unicorn last night. Obviously you two have spoken about it all.’

A knowing look appeared in Harry’s eyes, ‘Ron, especially a drunk Ron, doesn’t speak for me. I’ve never indicated to him that I wanted to hide anything.’

Draco’s grin displayed a sea of skepticism, ‘it’s true that Weasley was pretty blazed, but he was coherent enough discussing your desire to manage your reputation in the media.’ He smirked a little, ‘I get it…hero…just don’t think I am going to play along.’

Harry shook his head slowly, laughter in his expression and tone, ‘you think I give a shit what people think about my private life?’ 

‘Apparently you’ve led your best pal to believe it. Is there some reason I should doubt him?’

Harry laughed, ‘maybe because he was drunk off his arse?’

‘Sometimes Hellfire Spirits speak the most certain truth-’ 

‘Not when their coming from Ron’s mouth – trust me on that,’ Harry interjected. ‘As a matter of fact I didn’t say that to Ron and…’ 

Harry leaned in quickly before the Slytherin could register what he was about and kissed him soundly on the mouth - leaving his lips planted a tad longer than intended when he got a little lost in the softness - before standing again.

‘…my reputation be damned,’ Harry finished. He turned and began walking away.

Draco jumped a little at the unexpected kiss, but he didn’t pull away from it. He noticed a number of flashes flaring during Harry’s little kissing display and had no doubt that numerous photographs of that kiss would also be headed for the afternoon editions – likely the tabloid rags. A few players and film crew were also taking note of the possible new pairing. 

Draco’s eyes flickered to Harry’s retreating back.

‘Harry,’ he called softly.

Harry stopped and slowly turned.

‘Come by tonight?’

Harry raised his head slightly in acknowledgement, ‘we’ll see. My godfather and Remus are here for a visit, but I think I can slip away for a bit.’ He smiled briefly before moving toward the pitch, his remaining teammates staring at him appraisingly. 

Draco watched Harry ignore the stares of his teammates and move to where his broom lay on the pitch. He calmly stepped over it, empowered it to his hand and took off smoothly into the air, releasing the snitch as he flew. 

Draco was still a little surprised by Harry’s boldness. He had convinced himself that Ron spoke the truth, but apparently he was wrong. Potter hadn’t been the least bit shy about locking lips in front of everybody present, including the press, and he certainly wasn’t worried about his reputation. 

It was obvious Harry wanted to be with him again; Draco recalled when he’d been seduced by Lucian, he too wanted another go round almost immediately. His original intent to deny Potter for a while seemed silly. They were a long way from any significant attraction arising between them; and keeping that at bay was all that mattered for now.

He noted that the vultures were starting to circle, magical cameras in hand, and he quickly fled the media onslaught. He headed for the low buildings housing the changing rooms which were off limits to the media. He tried to ignore the little ball of excitement that had begun welling up in his stomach at the thought of the possibilities the night might bring. 

Draco found Blaise inside the changing rooms, walking toward the door and the two made a quick escape from the pitch. They began the short walk to the Unicorn, but hadn’t progressed more than a few steps before Blaise began interrogating his friend.

‘So what’s going on with you and Potter?’ Blaise asked, his tone overtly curious.

Draco shrugged. 

‘What does that mean?’ Blaise pressed, ‘you just snogged my seeker on the pitch and you want to shrug it off? When did this start up?’

‘Why don’t you ask your seeker?’

‘I’m asking my best mate.’

Draco shrugged again. ‘We got together the other night and we might meet up again, that’s all.’

Blaise looked at Draco appraisingly then shook his head, ‘That’s all? You and Harry… and that’s all?’

Draco shrugged again.

‘How did you seduce him into your bed?’ 

Draco’s expression matched the astonishment in his tone, ‘I seduced him into my bed? More like your seeker was begging for it.’ 

Blaise laughed, ‘now why do I find that hard to believe?’

Draco shrugged, ‘it’s true. Ask him.’

Blaise looked a little doubtful. 

‘It is just a bit of fun,’ Draco said nonchalantly. 

Blaise laughed, shaking his head, ‘okay. But just don’t go falling for Potter. I shouldn’t like to have to deal with you mooning around after him when he dumps you.’

‘Who said anything about falling for anyone? We are just having a little fun and Potter can’t dump something he doesn’t possess. He certainly doesn’t possess me and he never will.’

‘For now,’ Blaise said, smirking a bit.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘It means watch your step because if I know Harry, and I do, he’ll seduce you without even trying and you’ll fall for him because deep down I think you’ve always had a thing for the hero of Gryffindor.’

‘Hero of Gryffin-’ Draco broke off and looked askance at his friend, ‘Blaise what are you on about?’

‘Seems to me that you’ve had a singular interest in Harry Potter since the day you met him and it has continued right through to the present.’

‘Shut it, Blaise,’ Draco said sourly, ‘I’m not in the mood for your nonsense.’ 

‘I’m sure you’re not. That’s the thing about the truth, it is ugly and people don’t want to hear it; whereas lies...lies are so much more attractive.’

Draco’s pace slowed, ‘what the fuck is up with you?’

‘Nothing; I’m just looking out for you. I’m a lot closer to Harry than you are,’ Blaise paused to grin, ‘well, not physically…’ 

Draco gave a quick, sarcastic smile at the jibe.

‘…but as a friend, and I know Harry well,’ Blaise continued, ‘I’ve seen him unwittingly reel in numerous babes and they all fall hard.’

‘Females…’ Draco interjected.

‘Makes no difference, and unlike you, they hadn’t been Harry devotees since they were eleven.’

‘Wow,’ Draco uttered. He stopped walking altogether and stood staring at his friend with a mixture of amazement and exasperation. 

‘I’m just-’ Blaise began.

‘You’re just a jackass,’ Draco finished, his tone heated, ‘can you do me a favor and shut the fuck up?’ 

Blaise smirked, ‘sure. Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya.’ 

Draco didn’t bother to respond as they resumed walking toward the Unicorn. They completed the trip in silence. 

\----------

After the filming session, Harry spent a fun if somewhat crazy afternoon with his house guests. He went straight home from the pitch and found them seated on his couch in the den. 

Sirius was wild at the best of times, but Remus was generally a little more reserved…at least ninety-nine percent of the time. However, five days prior to the full moon, he began taking doses of the improved Wolfsbane potion. It completely removed the pain and stress from transformation, while keeping the werewolf’s mind lucid and clear and suppressed the desire to hunt to manageable levels. 

It was an absolutely remarkable potion, except for one, small, little side effect: it caused hyperactivity. The level of hyperactivity varied from wolf to wolf; but in general it grew more severe as the full moon approached – several Ministries were still working on a fix. 

Remus was on dose five as the full moon would rise that evening. He could pretty much control himself through four doses, but the fifth exceeded his abilities. Harry had been through it several times and together with his godfather, rather enjoyed when Remus turned into a day-five basket case.

When Harry arrived he momentarily forgot that it was dose five day, but Remus immediately reminded him. 

‘Harry, we’ve been waiting for you – discussing Malfoy actually,’ Remus said brightly.

Sirius looked sheepish, ‘not really discuss-’

‘We were wondering’ Remus interrupted, ‘if you got another piece of Malfoy today.’ 

Harry laughed, ‘uh, no.’

‘We were not wondering that, Moony; you were,’ Sirius clarified as his godson sat in a comfortable chair facing them.

Remus ignored Sirius and directed his words at Harry, ‘why not? From what I recall, he is pretty buff these days, a good looking lad.’

From what Harry recalled too. ‘Be that as it may, I don’t think marching up to him and ‘taking a piece’ would be to his liking.’ 

Remus stood up and sat down again, moving closer to Sirius on the couch and hugging one of his boyfriend’s legs with his hands. ‘Well you don’t have to march up and grab him on the pitch. You can be more subtle. Ask him into the changing rooms and then attack him.’ Remus had placed a nice bit of emphasis on the last two words.

Harry laughed, ‘attack him?’

Remus shivered slightly as if the thought sent a thousand chills, ‘yes, grip him by the shoulders and sink your teeth into his neck. Make him squirm with pleasure…leave your mark.’

Harry noted with amusement that the laughter had left Sirius’ expression; he was regarding his boyfriend with rather hungry, canine eyes. 

‘Well, we were just together the one time,’ Harry responded, chuckling a little, ‘I don’t believe he would be amused by my taking such liberties at this point.’ 

‘Ummm, but you want to, don’t you?’ Remus asked.

‘Do I wish to bite his neck? Not particularly.’

‘Not bite it precisely…just feel the hot, smooth skin sliding between your teeth…’

Harry looked at his godfather sharply; he could have sworn he’d heard a soft growl. “Uh, maybe you two should have a nap before dinner,’ he suggested.

‘I am not the least bit tired,’ Remus responded radiantly.

‘I don’t think he was suggesting sleep, Moony.’ 

Remus threw Sirius a quick frown and then glanced at Harry wide-eyed, ‘Harry!’ 

Harry laughed. 

Sirius wound his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair and began gently stroking it until Remus’ head came to rest on his shoulder. 

Harry bit his bottom lip for a moment watching Remus blink rather incessantly as he tried to remain sedately planted against his godfather’s arm. ‘Are you going to the forest tonight?’ he asked. 

‘Yup,’ Sirius confirmed, kissing Remus’ hair. ‘We’ll take an early dinner in our rooms and leave before nightfall, but we’ll be back in the morning.’

Harry nodded understandingly, ‘no problem, whatever you want to do.’

Remus leaned up to kiss Sirius’ neck; ‘I think you really like this boy, Harry, more than you realize.’

Harry’s eyes slid to meet Remus’, ‘why do you say that?’ 

Remus trained his attention on Harry, ‘I don’t know.’

Sirius laughed, hugging Remus a bit, ‘I’m sure Harry will figure it all out, Moony.’ 

Harry grinned briefly, ‘of course I will.’

When his laughter faded, Sirius narrowed his eyes at Harry, the amusement fading from their depths, ‘I am not sure how serious you are about Draco, but if things are headed in that direction, keep in mind who you are dealing with, Harry. I am sure he is not a replica of his parents, but he was raised by them, and I can tell you first hand that playing with that part of my family is akin to playing with fire.’ 

Harry’s expression had moved from interested to defiant during his godfather’s speech. 

Sirius’ expression softened, ‘no need to look daggers at me; I only want what’s best for you, Harry. That entire part of my family was motivated by a quest for power and had no qualms about donning evil coats and vile hats to get it. Ultimately, it drove them all insane to some degree or another; just something to keep in mind. 

Harry continued to stare.

Sirius grinned and his eyes began sparkling with fondness, ‘I am not going to tell you who used to look at me in just that way, saying nothing at all when they got frustrated with my speeches.’

That cajoled a grudging smile out of Harry. Unknowingly mimicking his father always triggered a smile from him.

‘I’m also not going to try to force unwanted advice on you, Harry. You are twenty-three and mature enough to make your own decisions. Just be careful.’

‘I get it,’ Harry responded, ‘don’t worry.’

Sirius inclined his head and then shook Remus lightly; he had fallen asleep. ‘Time to go Moony.’

Remus’ eyes snapped open and a moment later he was standing, ‘I’m ready, Padfoot; let's go.’ 

Sirius smiled at his hyperactive love and stood to place an arm about his shoulders. ‘We’ll be back tomorrow.’ 

Harry stood and enveloped them both in a brief hug. ‘Be careful out there.’

‘We will be,’ Remus responded.

‘We always are,’ Sirius added.

Harry watched them leave and admired the fact that they liked to spend the full moon in nature rather than trapped inside basically waiting it out.

Harry sat back down on the chair and considered the previous conversation. He didn’t share Sirius’ concern about Draco’s background at all; however, he was intrigued by what Remus had said. Remus had always been very perceptive where he was concerned and he seemed to believe Harry liked Draco more than he realized. 

Harry thought again about his strange obsession with Draco’s hands. It was odd that they turned him on so much, but he didn’t think that reflected anything very deep. He associated that and everything he was feeling with lust, sex and sensual pleasure. He was fairly certain that he had everything under control.

His thoughts turned to the night to come and he couldn’t help but think that the full moon was a bit of luck. His godfather and Remus would be going out and Draco had so kindly invited him over. That had worked out rather fortuitously. 

\----------

The evening was cold and Harry shivered a little as he made his way out into the night. He apparated quickly, wanting to leave the blunt chill of the wind as soon as possible. He walked rapidly to Draco’s front door and struck it with a few swift knocks.

To his surprise, Draco himself opened the door and stood looking at him through slightly hooded eyes. ‘You got away.’

Harry nodded, ‘full moon; Remus was…tired.’

‘Ah,’ Draco moved back into the house so Harry could enter.

The Slytherin closed the door and led them into the front room. ‘Have a seat, you want a drink?’

‘Sure,’ Harry said noting that the room was rather chilly and fireplace was not lit. He moved toward it, pulling his wand to send a quick spell. The fireplace roared to life and heat from the flames immediately began gravitating into the room.

Harry looked to where Draco stood at a side bar pouring liquid into two rather glitzy glasses; apparently he had the room prepared. 

Draco was staring at the fireplace and his eyes slid from it to meet Harry’s, ‘a little presumptuous aren’t we?’ he asked mildly.

‘Sorry, I was freezing.’

Draco grinned, ‘its fine.’

He walked to where Harry stood and handed him a drink then sat down on the couch. Harry sat next to him, although not terribly close, and took a sip of the nerve soothing alcohol, wondering vaguely why his nerves were on end. It wasn’t like they didn’t both know very well what was going to happen.

Draco was once again staring at him through hooded eyes, which was also a bit unnerving. 

‘You looked tired,’ Harry remarked. No, not tired, thought Harry; more like a predator lying in wait, but…tired worked.

‘I’m not at all tired,’ Draco responded, ‘not at all.’

The Slytherin carefully placed his drink on the coffee table and moved a little closer to Harry, sliding his fingers along his shoulder. He moved them slowly along the length of the bone and then inward over the Gryffindor’s throat. He felt Harry swallow, a gulp really, and watched while Harry sloshed his drink onto the table before them. He smiled inside; he’d wanted to see that again; evoking agitation from the normally composed hero gave him a good deal of pleasure.

Draco ran his fingers against the soft skin and upward along the supple expanse of neck. His fingers trailed lightly over the firm chin and fell against moist lips. He noted that Harry’s eyes had darted downward and were following their every movement, his bated breath showering his fingers with quick, puffs of heat. 

He couldn’t resist, Harry captured one of the fingers - never far from his consciousness for days now - in his mouth and began lightly sucking. He watched Draco watching him and brought his own hand up to cover Draco’s, massaging it gently deeper inside the warmth of his mouth. 

It was making Draco hot; he’d noticed Harry’s preoccupation with his hands, but he wasn’t thinking about his hands. All that sucking was going right to his cock. Harry looked as if he might drive himself over the brink, soaking up the scent, taste and feel of his finger. Draco brought his free hand to Harry’s cheek and stroked it softly, a little in wonder, but not terribly surprised at the strong reaction his action engendered. 

It was as if his fingers were an aphrodisiac and it seemed to be working both ways – Draco was starting to squirm at the sight of the Gryffindor rutting his face against his hand while continuing to suck at his finger. Draco suddenly dragged his hands free and reached to twist his fingers through Harry’s locks, pulling the Gryffindor’s head forward a little harshly and capturing the now slightly swollen lips in a hungry, heated kiss. 

Harry’s arms moved reflexively to grip the Slytherin’s body; pulling him closer than he already was. His heart was pumping madly and blood rushed downward, filling him; the pressure suddenly tight and hard against his jeans. He could feel the hard puffs of air he sent flowing down Draco’s throat as he kissed him, his tongue dancing wildly in the searing mouth. So damned lovely; so damned hot.

Draco incited the fiery kiss, but Harry took it up several notches and the Slytherin found himself already hotter than he’d been the first time they were together. The woodsy scent filled his nostrils and nimble fingers were running along his vertebrae leaving little trails of flame in their wake. 

He heard himself groaning, although he hadn’t made up his mind to do so. Harry was drawing him in and driving him mad, summoning strong, sensual pleasure from his soul.

Draco allowed his hand to fall from Harry’s tousled locks and join the other in caressing Harry’s cheeks, slightly rough from daytime growth, but nothing had ever felt so very brilliant to his sensitive fingers. 

Harry kept deepening the kiss and Draco kept letting him until he was left nearly breathless. Draco edged his mouth away and captured the Gryffindor’s lower lip between the even cut of his teeth, pulling it through and capturing it again, adoring the pretty, pleading gasps his action evoked. 

He could get used to this; it was so dark; so dangerous; so delightful. Everything Draco wanted and everything he wanted to avoid like the plague. Another being so totally in control of his senses now; the fragrance of mountain wind, bark and winter leaves suffocating him and there was a flicker of a memory accompanying that woodsy smell. The memory of another scent that was all Harry, damp and sweaty, salty and bitter, that was what he wanted…needed to smell…

Draco eased himself out of Harry’s arms, not without some difficulty, and stood up bringing the Gryffindor with him. ‘Come with me?’ whispered.

Harry nodded, flushed, his body aching and boiling with desire. He followed Draco with sluggish, if eager steps, up the stairs and to the rear of a long hallway. The Slytherin pulled open a set of double doors and Harry walked into…magnificence. 

The bed far grander than anything he’d ever seen, but it could have been a fold-away cot for all he cared, he just wanted Draco on it; naked; now. 

Draco set his wand on the nightstand and then turned back to face Harry, desire pouring from his eyes. 

Harry didn’t give the Slytherin a chance for more invitations, he reached out and began pulling at the buttons of Draco’s shirt with trembling fingers then fumbling with the belt until Draco knocked his hand away and did it himself, pulling off his jeans while Harry moved clumsy hands to his own clothing. 

Harry’s fingers tangled in his shirt in his haste to undo the buttons; he hissed a rush of words in frustration and the buttons flew apart of their own accord and his jeans were left unconstrained as well. He flung the clothes off carelessly, his intense emerald eyes never wavering from the naked, muscular form before him.

He rushed at Draco, clamping his mouth to the Slytherin’s while edging them toward the bed. Draco didn’t resist when he was eased onto the mattress and covered by a blanket of hot skin; a wet mouth sucking at his throat.

It wasn’t long before Draco sensed the scent he was after; he struggled against Harry’s body, manhandling the Gryffindor beneath him and immediately began a wet descent with his tongue along scorching skin.

Harry was noisily whimpering as Draco’s mouth traced a path from his neck to his belly and continued to descend. His hands jerked out to clutch the Slytherin’s head when Draco captured his hardness with his mouth. It was nothing like the last time; it was wilder, madder and altogether brilliant. Harry was sifting shaking fingers through soft hair and sneaking glances at soft, reddened lips, stretched around him and moving in a way that left him feverish. 

‘God,’ Harry gasped, as his hips began gently rocking of their own accord.

One of Draco’s hands slipped downward and began toying and teasing, sending a flame of heat along Harry’s spine. He arched upward, his body tense; ‘Draco,’ the name, a deep moan erupting into the air moments before Harry released into the blissful heat surrounding his hardness. 

Draco adeptly heeded the call, Harry’s excitement inciting his own. When the Gryffindor was sated he pulled himself off and began licking Harry’s belly and all the war hero could do was lay there panting and let him, his body atremble and damp with sweat.

The scents all mixed together and so alluringly; Draco was entranced. He licked his way up to Harry’s mouth and attacked; a bruising kiss that tasted of Harry, so, so delicious. Hot breath filled the cavern of his mouth and he felt the Gryffindor’s hands sliding upward along his back, pressing the muscles and sending his ardor zipping upward at a ridiculous rate. 

‘I want you, now,’ Draco gasped hoarsely, his words spilling against Harry’s lips which were then delicately assaulted by nipping teeth.

Harry lifted his knees in response and that was enough for Draco to go on. Reaching out to the nightstand, he lightly touched his wand while whispered words flew softly from his mouth. 

Harry felt a rush of slickness move within him and then gasped loudly as Draco thrust into him with wild abandon. No fingers this time, just a hot burning sensation that quickly turned into something much more brilliant, something exquisite. Harry was not very surprised to find his passion stirring once again. The Slytherin was braced above him, moving with none of the gentle, tenderness he had displayed the last time; he was driving with a merciless persistence that engendered the most incredible feelings Harry had ever felt in his life. He gripped Draco’s arm, with one hand and his burgeoning hardness with the other, his head sinking heavily into the mattress as Draco practiced new and amazing magic above him.

Draco was mumbling unintelligibly, his face contorting as he swept Harry’s legs upward with his arms and fell forward, thrusting rapidly. He adjusted his angle and the resultant pleasure left Harry chasing his breath. 

Harry was hard again; his whole body throbbing as it jerked repeatedly upward, begging for the zenith of relief. ‘Please, yes…please,’ Harry whispered.

It was too much; the sight of Draco moving above him, the repeated pulsing of pleasure inside and that generated by his own hand sent Harry’s body reeling once again toward climax. 

‘God, oh god,’ Harry cried on a raspy howl, his head rearing back and his seed spurting wildly between them.

Watching Harry fall over the edge – hearing the hollow cry, Draco found himself on the precarious brink of a grand explosion. He slammed his face into the crevice of Harry’s neck, sucking wildly and breathing in the delectable essence as he rocked into the Gryffindor. Strong hands were caressing his back and the curve of his butt, while warm breath danced across his cheekbone. 

Ragged, broken moans began escaping the Slytherin, quivering against Harry’s skin and then into his mouth, captured in the moment orgasm crashed through Draco’s senses. 

Harry felt the warm rush filling his body and arched to meet the Slytherin’s final jagged thrusts. Draco collapsed against Harry, his steamy body a dead weight and his heavy breathing the only sound breaking the commanding silence.

They lay basking in the moment for a very long while. Harry winced a little when the Slytherin finally edged his body away. Draco fell heavily next to the Gryffindor on the bed, a little surprised when Harry moved at once to place an arm across his belly and rest his head comfortably on his chest. One of his legs fell between Draco’s in the process.

Draco felt his normal urge to flee; clinging to a lover after sex romanticized it in a way that was against everything he wanted for himself; namely, freedom. But Harry felt warm and…comfortable; their bodies rested together easily, almost naturally and there was really nothing very clingy about it. 

Draco relaxed into the comfort and lifted a hand, lacing his fingers through Harry’s hair, playing with the locks. 

‘Fucking brilliant,’ Harry murmured hoarsely, hotly, into his skin.

Draco tightened his hand against Harry’s locks for a moment in acknowledgement. Brilliant indeed. 

\----------

The morning sun was kissing Draco’s cheeks through the thin, chintz curtains when he awoke. But that is not what had pulled him from his rather pleasant slumber. Someone, Harry, was planting kisses along his chest…and his belly and his…

‘Oh god.’


	7. Chapter 7

The moon climbed upward, arching to its furthest reach and illuminating the sky with a dusky blue warmth that hid all but the most stubborn of glimmering stars. Light and shadows played across the lake below and the pair that sat beside it.

Sirius’ expression was completely besotted as he watched the transformation of the man he loved into the brilliant wolf he adored. The new potions worked a marvel for both the man and wolf. Moony’s fur gleamed brilliantly under the moonlight; his form, lithe and strong and his teeth and claws, white and sharp. He was beautiful. 

Padfoot’s eyes reflected the same fondness as he took on his Animagi form and joined Moony. Black dog and brown wolf headed out into the forest.

A light fog had settled over the vast woodland area, but the ground was dry and they were able to move at a rapid pace toward the heart of the forest. The wolf held a steady gait in the lead allowing his mate to keep up, all the while scrutinizing the surroundings for predatory creatures.

A small stream ran through the midst of the forest and it was there that Moony led them. He stopped at the water’s edge and patiently waited for Padfoot to sidle alongside. They traipsed slowly along the water’s edge; the moist grass beneath their paws growing thicker as they moved. 

It was not long before they entered a dense marsh. The little stream had thinned to a trickle and large, feisty bushes sprung up about them. Padfoot nudged the wolf with the brunt of his body and Moony reared upward, howling wildly at the moon. It was a rugged, blissful, sound imploring Padfoot to add to the chorus, which he did with a long series of barking moans. Their music sounded loudly in the wood, carried by the wind and echoing madly throughout the terrain.

They had their wits about them, but it was too much for them to constrain their animal nature that was so pronounced in moments like these. They immersed themselves in the wild sounds of the forest accompanying their own. Their keen animal senses picked up the whispering wind as it blew lightly through the trees; the small pebbles and branches crushing underfoot; the chirps, slithers, hallow hoots and whistles of the forest’s night dwellers. 

The low territorial hiss…

The sound was startling. Padfoot snapped out of his revelry first, with Moony following him shortly thereafter. The hiss was surely a predator and from the sound of it, a predator on the hunt. The wolf and the dog stilled as their senses alerted, listening, and examining their surroundings to identify their enemy. 

He wasn’t hiding. He wasn’t hunting. But he was watching and it wasn’t long before they discerned him. He was a tall, very beautiful human with startling blue eyes that radiated brilliantly in the darkness. Beams from the moon kissed the hair that cascaded down his shoulders, each strand of blond, gold and light brown glistening as it moved in the light wind. His skin looked pale against the background of the moonlit eve, but it only added to his overall attractiveness; his vibrancy, agility and strength obvious, despite his lack of movement. His brooding eyes bore into Moony and Padfoot, flickering over and about their forms, taking them in. 

There was no mystery for the wolf and dog to solve. It was a vampire.

The three stared at one another for many minutes in unmoving silence. The predator seemed aware that he was facing wizards. It took them a bit longer, but Moony and Padfoot realized they were facing a wizard as well. Somehow they knew that attacking them was not on his evening agenda. The vampire seemed curious, as if just staring at them for hours would satisfy.

Padfoot felt a strange familiarity about the Vampire, although he could not place it. He had no idea that Moony was feeling the same, more keenly so. 

A night creature flew from the sky and landed with a loud wisp of movement amidst the bushes about them, disturbing the silence and the moment. The vampire wizard turned slowly and began moving away; slipping into the darkness with as little flourish as he’d used to slip from it. 

Moony hunched his back, signaling his intent to follow, the instinct to hunt not completely neutered by the new potion, but Padfoot used his paws to dissuade him, slapping them lightly against his love’s torso. When Moony didn’t seem persuaded, he began trotting circles about him forcing his focus away from the night creature and cajoling him to trade his instinctive desire for clarity. Chasing vampires was a very bad idea.

Moony finally snapped out of his fleeting obsession with the vampire and focused on his playmate. He bore down, his legs splayed before him; his body primed and sent a playful growl in Padfoot’s direction. The large black dog responded in kind and within seconds they were off; flying across the marsh, jumping and spinning, barking and howling and sending earth flying in all directions. Completely losing themselves in their animalistic nature was the highpoint of their wanderings and what drew them to the forest to welcome every new moon. 

They played for hours while the moon lost its battle with the sun and stubbornly made its descent. As twilight melted into dawn, Moony’s vigor began to wane, the marvels of humanity catching up with him. The dog was not so impacted, but he chased the wolf to a tree and used his paws to convince him to lie against it, then curled into the warmth of his lover’s body. The two drifted to sleep, comfortable and content.

When the day moon was once again on the rise, Padfoot felt the familiar struggle behind him. He quickly took on human form and sat watching Remus coming back to him; so precious. 

Sirius grasped an exhausted Remus into his arms, who allowed his head to fall upon the broad chest and his body into the warm embrace. They sat together for a very long while before Remus began feeling more human than wolf again. 

Remus looked up when he recovered and gave a lopsided smile, ‘hi.’

‘Hello,’ Sirius responded fondly.

Remus' smile broadened, but then his brow creased, ‘was I dreaming,’ he said hoarsely, ‘or did we meet a vampire last night?’

‘We did.’

‘A wizard vampire, I think.’

Sirius nodded in acknowledgement.

‘It was very dream-like; I felt like I knew him.’

Sirius’ head whipped down to face Remus, ‘I felt that too. Do we know him?’

Remus scrunched his brow, ‘I don’t know…I don’t think so. That is, I don’t remember meeting him. I think I’d remember if I had met him; he was very distinctive.’

Sirius’ grinned, ‘you mean he was hot.’

Remus laughed, ‘yeah.’

Sirius joined his laughter, ‘agreed. It is odd; I’ve been around a number of vampires and have not had that feeling before.’

Remus nodded, ‘and he didn’t attack – he just seemed to want to study us.’

‘I think he realized we were wizards. You don’t see many Animagi and werewolves cavorting, so perhaps he was just intrigued.’

Remus pursed his lips, ‘maybe.’

Sirius shrugged and began struggling up, bringing Remus with him. They walked arm in arm toward the entrance, where they had left clothing for Remus with other provisions. Remus dressed and they sat down to have a small snack. They took their time eating the berries and nuts they’d brought along; basking in the closeness between them that arose after every festival of the moon.

\-----------

Harry hadn’t planned to sleep at Draco’s place through the night nor have a blissful morning send off session, but…

…that happened. 

Their morning activities resulted in his running late and he’d had to head straight for the pitch the next day without swinging by his place. The coaches put the Dragons through a strenuous practice in preparation for the upcoming game against the Slayers. Despite his relative exhaustion, Harry did well, both at playing and avoiding questions about Draco from his teammates and the prowling journos. 

However, when Harry returned home in the afternoon, he could not avoid Sirius and Remus.

They were seated in Harry’s large comfortable den, looking tired but happy. Sirius looked to be casually reading the Prophet while Remus rested his head lightly against the back of the sofa. However, when Harry crossed the threshold, Sirius leaned forward to spread the paper on the coffee table before him revealing a motion photo of Harry bending forward to fasten his lips to Draco’s in their now globally famous kiss. Gigantic black letters quipped: ‘Potter Seeking a Peek at the Competition’

Sirius made quite the presentation of flattening the paper then spinning it around so that it faced his godson. He then relaxed against the couch, placing an arm around Remus’ shoulders and the two of them looked at Harry expectantly.

Harry eyed the paper, the first he’d seen, and inexplicably the night before began running through his mind. It had been so personal, so his, and discussion of the kiss that had led to it was just as personal somehow. He did not want to discuss it, or anything to do with it at all.

He sat down on the overstuffed chair facing the pair. ‘How was the forest last night?’ he asked a little hoarsely

‘Really?’ Sirius expression was pragmatic and then some.

Remus began laughing. Sirius looked at him, amusement sneaking into his expression, then turn to Harry once more, ‘the writer calls it ‘quite unexpected’ and speculates that your heavy involvement might jeopardize the game.’

Harry burst out laughing. ‘You needn’t worry about that. Game time and it’s on,’ 

Sirius and Remus chuckled.

Sirius gathered the newspaper and began folding it, seemingly understanding Harry’s reluctance to speak about it, ‘the first paper I saw declared you were getting married. So this is pretty tame.’

Harry’s expression narrowed into a grin, ‘I don’t think we have to worry about that.’ His face animated and he began playfully whipping his index finger back and forth between the pair, ‘perhaps we need to be speaking about the two of you getting hitched.’

The laughter slowly left Sirius’ face, but Remus seemed to grow excited, ‘we don’t have to worry about that either. We have no intention of getting married.’

Sirius looked at Remus, but didn’t say anything and Harry noted that the strain about the room seemed to be growing by the second. 

However, they were as close as parents to Harry, so he had no compunction probing, ‘what is it?’ he asked, his tone holding a little concern. 

There was a very long silence and the tension grew palpable. Apparently, he’d opened a can of worms.

Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius cut in before he could utter a word, is eyes narrowed and brow creased, ‘we aren’t going to discuss this now.’

Remus’ lips tightened and his eyes sparked with anger. 

Harry’s eyes were wide. The situation had swirled down the toilet very quickly. What was this, he wondered. It was extremely rare for the two of them to behave so fiercely toward one another. They appeared to have forgotten his presence altogether.

When Remus broke the silence, his voice was cold and strained, ‘I don’t wish to discuss it at all, Sirius.’

It did not escape Harry’s notice that Remus had reverted to calling his godfather by his given name. 

Sirius didn’t respond. He seemed to shut down completely, immersed in a rage that Harry did not understand. 

Harry was unsure what to say…what to do. But he wasn’t given a chance to do either. Sirius stood up suddenly and stormed from the room.

Harry turned quickly to face Remus, ‘what’s going on?’ he asked worriedly. 

But his words fell on deaf ears; Remus shot up a moment later and followed his godfather’s swift exit with one of his own. 

Harry sat in the den for some time wondering what the hell had just happened. He had an inkling that the problem went beyond the topic of marriage, but he was clueless as to what it might be. 

He was tired, but the situation left him restless, so he decided to forego his bed and workout in his small, basement gym room. He had a feeling he was going to have to press the issue with his godfather and Remus to get answers and he had every intention of doing so.

\-----------

Draco faced a bit of light teasing from his teammates and bothersome questions from the team press. While it wasn’t the first time two players got together, even premiere players, it was a rare enough occurrence to cause a small commotion, enlarged by the fact that Harry was involved. He handled it as adroitly as Harry had, although he did speak to the press rather than avoid them. 

To Draco’s surprise, none of the rags he’d seen had stooped to bringing up his background - at least not yet. That would be a first; they never seemed to pass up a chance to dive headfirst into such an exploitable topic. That issue was also not raised in the never ending questions thrown at him and he found it easy to respond with non-committal comments and looks of confusion and bewilderment. He was quite good at that.

The Slayers also had an arduous practice and Draco was bone tired from his activities with Harry, but for some reason he was not feeling grumpy, which was usual when he was fatigued. He was in fact feeling strangely happy. So much so that despite his lack of sleep, he decided to travel to Azkaban island after practice and deliver the chocolates to his ex-professor.

\----------

Severus Snape had spent the five years of his prison sentence in relative seclusion from the other prisoners. Reforms to Azkaban included the creation of a large general hall where the prisoners were allowed to freely intermingle with other inmates during an eight hour period each day. One need only request an Auror escort to the room. The room had various magical games and an exercise area for the inmates to use as well as numerous rather hard couches for them to sit upon.

It was a vast improvement in conditions that had come about as a result of the reforms Sirius had advocated. He had argued that social interaction would serve to assist the prisoners upon their release, facilitating readjustment to society.  
Snape had gone to the hall on the first day of his incarceration. Unfortunately, the only two people that hadn’t looked at him with disgust when he walked in were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. The thought of spending even one minute in their company was abhorrent to the ex-professor and he had ignored their greeting and left, never to return.

Connected to the hall was a huge library and inmates were allowed to carry books back to their cells for reading. The books had been carefully selected, appropriate for prisoners, but to his surprise he found many of them quite interesting. Snape spent a lot of time in the Library selecting books and enjoyed the relative solitude. There were only two other regulars, Gloriath Pettigrew and Thorfinn Rowle, both incarcerated for crimes associated with the Death Eaters and neither of which Snape had much time for, although Mrs. Pettigrew was keen on homespun potions, so they would speak from time to time. The Librarian Auror never spoke to the prisoners, so in general, Snape could enjoy the silence.

Most of Snape’s time was spent reading and writing at the small desk in his cell.  
For four years his monthly visits from Draco and the Aurors that came by to bring food or lead him to the showers were his only contacts with humanity. However, at the beginning of his fifth year of incarceration that had changed. 

Snape remembered the day very clearly. An Auror had called him from his cell and led him to the visiting rooms. Draco had visited just two weeks before and Snape was a little mystified as to why the lad would return so soon. However, when the door was opened and he stepped inside he froze. It was not Draco, but rather one of the last persons he’d ever expect to see.

Granted, he expected to see no one, but to say he was shocked would be to put it lightly. Since then he’d had two regular visitors; Draco once a month and his new visitor who came with increasing frequency. Snape would never admit that he enjoyed the visits of his frequent guest, but some of his writings hinted otherwise. 

When the Auror Guard called for Snape, two days following Draco’s visit, he knew it must be his frequent visitor. He arose and followed the guard to the visiting rooms.

‘The boy is back,’ the Auror murmured to Snape on their way to the room.

Snape glowered at the Auror’s back and his demeanor sagged a little, but he continued into the room.

‘Good Morning Professor,’ Draco said when Snape plodded into the room with drudging steps.

Snape didn’t sit down nor did he respond; his eyes had fallen upon the package Draco had brought with him.

Draco followed his eyes and lifted the box of chocolates toward Snape. The outer wrapping had been torn away by the Aurors during testing, but the lovely box they were in as well as the delicate wrappings containing each chocolate were still in place. 

The candies were badly folded however; each piece had been unwrapped, tested and then refolded into its paper before being replaced. The Aurors hadn’t taken much care, so the paper coverings were not nicely twisted as they had been, but they were salvageable. 

Snape snatched the box from Draco and gave him a curt nod.

Draco supposed that meant ‘thank you very much, I appreciate your taking the time to get these fine chocolates for me’ though Snape said not a word. Upon reflection he realized it more likely meant, ‘give me the chocolates and get the hell out’, but he didn’t press the point.

Draco smiled at his ex-professor and watched as Snape scowled in response before turning to leave the room.

Draco sighed. He really hadn’t expected anything else, but really, he had taken the time to get the damn chocolates, the least the man could have done was verbally acknowledge what he’d done for him. He arose and called for the Auror to see him out. The familiar feeling of depression was beginning to crawl over him, but it was nothing that couldn’t be fixed by a few stiff drinks. 

Snape went back to his cell and had no more than set the chocolates on his desk when an Auror was once again calling for him, indicating that he had another visitor. This time Snape knew for certain it must be his frequent visitor; there could be no mistake. He looked at the chocolates, noting their disheveled appearance and with a snort he turned and quickly followed the Auror. 

This time it was his hoped for guest, but based on Snape’s sneering expression, it could have been Draco again. The only difference was that this time his face was a lie.

\-----------

Harry had spent a restless early evening worried about Sirius and Remus while working out. They had been behind closed doors since they’d left him in the den and he was uncertain how to draw them out. They were not sleeping; he heard them walking about their room and muted tones as they spoke to one another. 

As luck would have it, Ron stopped by the pit that evening giving Harry a perfect opportunity to call them from their room. 

Sirius and Remus came downstairs, seemingly in a much better humor, but didn’t offer an explanation for their earlier behavior. Harry was anxious to speak to them about it, however, with Ron present, that wasn’t possible. He wasn’t sure it would be possible even if Ron hadn’t come by. They greeted Ron warmly and from all appearances, seemed to have made some sort of truce between them – or they were pretty good actors.

Their good humor was likely helped along by Ron, who carried several papers with him – all rag mags. He seemed to believe it would be splendid fun to share the varied headlines and numerous moving shots of ‘the kiss’ taken by the press. 

Harry didn’t recall the kiss being long enough for such a mad collection of photographs to have been captured. He watched with amusement while Ron read every exaggerated headline and displayed every enlarged moving picture to the laughter of all present, including Harry. Since he wasn’t being probed about it, he could enjoy the lighthearted ridicule.

‘Are you quite finished? Harry asked when Ron set the last paper down.

‘For now; but who can tell what the future might bring,’ came Ron’s enigmatic reply.

Remus and Sirius seemed highly amused.

Harry shook his head at Ron. ‘You staying for dinner?’

‘I can…’ Ron accepted.

‘Good,’ Harry said, standing to run and let Ubin know they were having an extra guest.

‘Which reminds me,’ Ron said then, ‘Mum and Dad asked me to remind you that the twins’ birthdays are tomorrow night; dinner at the Burrow.’

‘Oh yeah.’

Ron’s eyes moved to take in Remus and Sirius, ‘she wants the both of you as well.’

‘Wouldn’t miss it,’ Sirius said, ‘I’ve not seen any of your clan for a long while.’

‘It will be great to see everyone,’ Remus added.

They then settled in for a comfortable evening of good food and hilarious chatter. However, it wasn’t long before Sirius and Remus began drooping. After their strenuous prior evening, that was no surprise.

‘To bed with you,’ Harry commanded.

He got little resistance from Sirius and Remus as they trundled off to their room. Harry regarded them leaving, his mind still running with speculation about their earlier confrontation. That was a mystery he would have to pursue.

When they left, Ron grinned, ‘Unicorn for a bit? It isn’t too late.’

Harry pouted a little as he thought about it. ‘Okay. Not too long though, I have to get some sleep tonight.’

‘Hey, I can’t promise Draco won’t be there and we both know you can’t keep your lips off of him when he’s around, so…’ Ron’s smile was grand.

Harry smiled, tongue in cheek. ‘So this is going to be an ongoing theme for a while, eh?’

‘It’s a little hard to resist.’

‘Try.’

Ron stood up and motioned Harry to follow, his smile still present.

They apparated to the Unicorn and found a number of players from various teams standing outside of the bar. It was clear something was going on, although it was difficult to tell what exactly. 

Blaise and Draco were among the group and Harry moved to where they were standing, with Ron behind.

‘Hey’ Harry saluted them both, ‘what’s going on?’

Blaise scowled a little, ‘they kicked us out. Apparently they are going to do some kind of renovations and the bar is closed till tomorrow night.’

‘Great,’ Ron lamented.

Harry noticed that a few of his teammates had started to move toward them, while most were apparating elsewhere. 

‘We are going to the Maiden, do you want to come?’ asked Alexander, one of the Dragons’ beaters as they neared. 

Harry watched Ron move to speak to some of his teammates, though Blaise and Draco remained. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ he responded distractedly.

‘What or who?’ Alexander asked, his expression lively as his eyes flickered to Draco and back.

Too late, Harry realized he was being set up. He closed his eyes and gave a quick chuckle, ‘very funny.’

His teammates laughed and their captain Michael motioned for them all to have done. ‘We actually are going to the Maiden. You two come round if you like,’ he said offhandedly, his look capturing his teammates Harry and Blaise as he led his fellow Dragons away.

Harry shook his head and noted the grins on Draco and Blaise’s faces.

‘I’m getting piled on too if that helps,’ Draco commented.

‘It really doesn’t,’ Harry responded continuing to shake his head, but then brightening, ‘so where are you two headed?’

‘We were thinking of going to the Brickyard.’

Harry made a face. The Brickyard was a little bar that used to be quite popular, but had dashed highly out of fashion when the owner and many of its employees were discovered practicing very dark acts of magic in the basement of the establishment. Since then, the owner’s daughter had taken over and some suspected she was up to her ears in the dark arts as well. A very shifty crowd made up the numbers of its present day patrons.

‘The Brickyard?’ Harry asked, his tone carrying disgust.

Draco and Blaise laughed.

‘The rumors about Nishal, the new owner, are not true,’ Blaise informed him, ‘she wants nothing to do with the dark arts, but her business suffers for the bar’s reputation. She is a distant cousin and I told her I would bring some players by to help her try and raise the quality of the patrons a bit.’

‘Quidditch players raise the quality?’ Harry quipped.

‘Well we are a step up from miscreants and wannabe darklords,’ Draco laughed.

Ron returned then and looked at Harry expectantly, ‘what’s up?’

‘These two want to head over to the Brickyard.’

Ron looked to Blaise and Draco, ‘regressing are we?’

Blaise rolled his eyes, ‘it’s not like that anymore. That is, they are trying to step up the clientele – and we just want to help out - a favor for a friend if you will.’

‘Um.’ Ron’s face indicated his lack of desire. 

Harry suddenly made up his mind to go. If the Brickyard was going to try to turn things around, the least they could do was help out. ‘Let’s stop in for a beer, Ron, and if it is miserable we can leave.’

Ron sighed, ‘the things I do for friendship.’

The others snickered a little and moments later they apparated to the small bar.

The Brickyard, or the Yard as its regulars liked to call it, was made completely of brick and mortor. It stood apart from the rest of the shops on the street, as a lone building that looked to be in desperate need of repair. 

Harry looked askance at the place as they entered and more so once they were inside. The lighting was poor, the patrons poorer and the tables and chairs would be better used to start a barnyard fire. There were magical pool tables along the far wall, none of which were being used by those present. They looked old and abandoned, making Harry wonder why they bothered.

‘Oh dear,’ Ron murmured.

Draco laughed and Harry caught his humor and chuckled as well. The place was misery personified, but they headed toward the bar nonetheless. Interestingly, the very few patrons didn’t pay them much attention, despite their status – and despite Harry being, well, Harry. There were mostly loners, but a couple of pairs drank together at tables, speaking to one another in low voices. By the looks of them it was easy to imagine they were hashing evil plans and brewing up disaster. 

Blaise’s distant cousin wasn’t present, but the bartender welcomed them warmly and set them up with a pitcher and glasses. They carried these to a table and sat down, pouring out drinks. 

The more Harry drank, the less he seemed to notice his surroundings; he felt punch drunk due to a lack of sleep. They were having a lively conversation about Quidditch, easily the loudest table in the room. Oddly, it was the miscreants and questionable sorts that ended up looking askance at the Quidditch players. 

Harry didn’t see how their stopping by was going to help the place out. No one present would be spreading the news among the crowds they were trying to cultivate. He also doubted they could convince other players to come. Nonetheless, he felt no real evil about the place and rather thought it nice of Draco and Blaise to try and help.

They finished their pitcher and ordered another. Harry noted that the place had cleared out quite a bit by then. There were just a couple of rather hopeless souls left, seated alone at opposite ends of the bar, their faces deep in their cups.

While awaiting the pitcher, Blaise suggested to Ron that they play a game of magical pool. Looking at the poor condition of the tables, Ron made a face and declared he’d pass. But Blaise insisted, giving him a knowing look, his eyes flashing toward Harry and Draco.

‘Oh,’ Ron said, completely unable to dissemble, ‘sure, why not.’

Harry understood Blaise was leaving him and Draco alone together, but he was a little mystified as to why. However, he remained silent about it in the face of Draco doing the same, wondering if Draco had asked Blaise to carry Ron off. 

Harry watched them go then turned back to his companion and noted that Draco was smirking. 

Harry was going to ask if Draco had arranged this, but seeing that look he instead elevated his brows and lifted his chin in question.

‘Cat’ 

Confusion entered Harry’s eyes momentarily, but cleared almost as quickly and he chuckled. ‘Not cats. Gryffindors are lions; as you well know.’

Draco shrugged, ‘lions, tigers, cats, kittens, what difference?’

Harry grimaced, ‘snakes, vermin, rats, slime bugs, what difference?’

Draco laughed, ‘well come to think of it, that strikes the balance just about right at Slytherin house.’

Harry burst out laughing; it struck him as inordinately funny – perhaps because in ways it was true.

‘Likewise,’ Draco continued, ‘Gryffindor is not universally represented by lions, ’ 

Laughter still rang through Harry’s tone, ‘true, but I’d like to think that we haven’t any kittens.’

‘You are the kitten.’

‘Me?’

Draco nodded, ‘a curious little kitten.’

Harry had no idea why that struck him as funny, but it did and he couldn’t stop laughing. So long and so hard, it caught Draco out and he found himself laughing at Harry’s inability to quiet his mirth.

When they finally quelled their laughter, Harry shook his head slowly at his friend, ‘alright, I’ll bite. Why am I a curious kitten?’

‘A curious _little_ kitten.’

And that was that. Harry was rolling in laughter again. 

‘I know you aren’t drunk,’ Draco declared, trying to contain his own merriment, but failing miserably. ‘Can you-’ but his words broke up into a chuckle.

‘Can I what?’ Harry managed.

‘Tell me, why we are laughing?’ Draco blurted through his continued laughter.

Harry could not speak at all of course. 

In time the laughter died and Harry gave up. ‘Let’s talk about something else. Please.’

‘What would you like to talk about?’

‘You.’

‘A very dull topic.’

Harry pursed his lips, ‘I notice you don’t often talk about yourself. Everyone knows a lot about me, but not too much about you.’

‘Well yeah, you are an even more boring topic.’

Harry laughed, ‘thanks.’ He lifted a hand and scratched the back of his head, ‘you might be surprised at the things you don’t know about me.’

‘Would I?’

‘Like most, you only know the surface Harry, not the man inside.’

‘I’ve been inside of you, Harry.’

‘Don’t’ Harry slurred as he broke into laughter again.

‘What’s with you tonight?’ Draco asked.

‘I don’t know.’

‘That’s only your second or third drink, yeah?’

Harry nodded. ‘I think I’m tired. We didn’t sleep much last night.’

‘I’m aware of that, but you don’t see me bending over with laughter at your every word.’

‘You lack a sense of humor.’

‘Is that what you’re calling it? I mean because finding everything funny is actually the opposite of having a sense of humor.’

Harry actually snorted into his laughter at that.

‘Merlin, Harry. You have got to chill.’

Harry rubbed his hands over his face. ‘Just shut up,’ he managed to sputter through his laughter. 

Draco did just that, his expression indicating that Harry was being absurd. 

The bartender brought over a fresh pitcher and left it on the table noting Harry and Draco were still nursing their beers from the first round. He looked a little oddly at Harry, who was still chuckling and his face flushed, but left without comment. 

‘So,’ Harry said, having dampened his laughter at last, ‘let’s talk about you.’

‘Well you’ve intrigued me now,’ Draco responded, ‘what is it that you hide on the inside that we – or that I - don’t know about?’

‘I’m very introspective.’

‘You don’t say?’

Harry’s laughter started up and Draco just shook his head.

‘What I mean to say,’ Harry continued, ‘is that I usually only say about half of the things I am actually thinking.’

‘Like most people.’

‘No. Some people say everything they are thinking.’

‘Okay, so tell me some of your unspoken thoughts, Harry.’

‘Well I have many, but since the subject is you-’

‘Wait a minute; I thought we were onto _you_ ’

‘Right, but the topic I am talking about is you. And what I say to you aloud, by word or implication, is often only the half of it. For example, I think you are very funny, which you likely know. But what I don’t say is that you can probably make me laugh harder than anyone I’ve ever met.’

‘I can see that.’

Harry chuckled, ‘I don’t mean tonight. I am clearly not reacting normally.’

‘Clearly.’

Harry raised a finger in acknowledgement and after a couple of moments continued, ‘another thing I haven’t said on that topic is that humor is something I value in people above all things.’

Draco narrowed his eyes, ‘Are you trying to tell me something? Is this some sort of declaration?’

A gust of laughter escaped Harry, I’m revealing things to you that I generally keep hidden and you are asking me if what I’ve revealed has hidden meanings behind it?’

‘Put that way, it does sound a bit too complex for you.’

‘Piss off,’ Harry replied through his laughter, ‘I meant just want I said. You’re funny and I like funny, nothing more, nothing less.’

Draco grinned, taking a sip of his drink. ‘Is this something you’ve only recently discovered, or have you always felt that way?’

‘Oh Merlin, no. Not when we were young. You were an ass; nothing you said was the least bit funny back then.’

Draco laughed. ‘So this started when?’

‘When you got funny…sometime after the war.’

Draco nodded slowly.

‘But what I wonder,’ Harry continued, ‘and this is also something I haven’t said, is whether your new found humor is a kind of refuge, you know, with all that has happened with you and your family. I often wonder if you have resorted to humor to escape thinking about those things.’

‘I think about those things all of the time, Harry.’

Harry’s dimples came and went. It wasn’t humor that caused them this time though; it was the way Draco was making regular use of his first name. He had a rather sing-song way of saying it that was pleasing to Harry’s ears for some strange reason. There was a distinct possibility that Draco was mocking him, but he liked it just the same.

However, in terms of the conversation, it was Harry that had become intrigued. ‘Doesn’t that make you, well, sad to think about your family and all that?’

‘Of course.’

‘So maybe you have taken to humor to balance that out.’

Draco shrugged, ‘I’ve always made people laugh. That’s nothing new, you just didn’t appreciate dark humor in the past the way you do now.’

Harry thought about that; Draco might have a point. ‘Still; I was thinking about you the other night and-’

‘Would that be last night when our bodies were writhing together in the sheets? 

Harry flushed a bit, chuckling, ‘no. I mean yes, of course then, but I was referring to a time when I was alone-’

‘They make magazines for that, Harry.’

Harry was laughing again. ‘I’m being serious. I suppose it must be really hard for you at times. Your parents and most of your family are not with you. Are you lonely sometimes?’

‘No. I have friends and to be honest, the elves living with me have sort of adopted me. So I have a rather mad cap new family of sorts.’

Harry thought of his elf, Ubin; he really liked him, but they could not be called friends. Ubin had a life of his own he enjoyed when he left work that Harry knew little about. 

‘But they are after all working for you,’ Harry pressed.

‘Yeah, but it’s…different. It’s weird. I can’t explain. They are related to one another and live with me full time. They have grown on me and I on them and so we actually interact more than you would normally do with elves working for you.’

Harry struggled to understand, ‘what do you mean by interact?’

‘We share things like holidays, birthdays, meals at times; we play magical chess and other things…’ Draco’s voice ran down a little.

‘Oh,’ Harry responded.

‘But I am still their boss and kind of a bossy boss, so like I said, it’s odd, but it is what it is.’

‘You talk to them about things – your life and so forth?’

‘At times.’

Draco’s tone was hesitant and Harry felt he might be probing too much, so he nodded in response and said no more.

Draco finally broke the extended silence that followed with a soft murmur, ‘curious little kitten.’ 

Harry rocked forward with laughter and they were right back where they started.

\-----------

Despite his desire to make an early evening of it, Harry didn’t arrive home until the wee hours. He wasn’t too unhappy about it though. He’d enjoyed talking to Draco. They had gone on to discuss a little about his ongoing work with the Ministry, although Harry left out any discussion of the extent of his still developing ability. Draco had surprised him with an interest in reforms being undertaken for magical creatures, reminding him of Hermione in discussing equality and justice for the beings. 

It was a bit eye opening for Harry. When Ron and Blaise had rejoined them, the conversation had broadened to various other topics and he noted that he and Draco seemed to often be in accord. He realized with a small amount of trepidation that the evening had left him with a greater regard for Draco than he’d previously held. 

As he fell onto his bed he found his thoughts were delaying his ability to sleep. He was remembering Remus’ speculation that he liked Draco more than he realized. He was starting to suspect Remus might be right and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Another surprising thought struck him just as he was dozing off; he hadn’t noted Draco’s hands all evening.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post War everything changes. Relationships end, new ones begin. Humor, Romance, Mystery.

‘Good morning Professor.’

Snape cringed at the chorus of voices at his back. His quill froze for a moment against the scroll he’d been writing on, leaving an unsightly blotch on the page. It was Crabbe and Goyle stopping to greet him as they passed his cell on the way to the prisoner’s general hall. He ignored them as he did on a daily basis and went back to writing. 

To his dismay, they didn’t seem to be moving along today. 

‘Is that chocolate you have in that box on the edge of your desk?’ Goyle asked in his normal goofy tone.

Snape continued to ignore, concentrating on his writing.

‘It looks fancy. Could we have a piece?’ Crabbe implored. 

‘No.’ Snape’s tone was firm and final.

‘Please sir, those fancy chocolates look so much better than what we have.’ Goyle’s voice was reduced to a thin whine.

‘No! Go away.’

The prison Auror escorting Crabbe and Goyle sighed and impatiently began tapping his foot. He had been utterly dismayed when he found out that he was in charge of the pair of goons for the day in addition to his other charges.

Crabbe and Goyle stood conferring with one another for a moment before heading back to Goyle’s cell. The Auror followed his irritation mounting. 

Goyle ran into his cell and grabbed two pieces of chocolate from the box Draco had given him and then ran back out, smiling slyly at Crabbe. The two then ran back in the direction of Snape’s cell, the Auror behind them.

‘We’ll trade you two pieces of our chocolate for one of yours, professor! How about that?’ Crabbe sputtered breathlessly, unused to running.  
Snape stood up and approaching the bars, rounding on the lads. His visage was terrible; he had the same look he’d worn when they were all at Hogwarts and someone had blown up a cauldron in his potions class.

Crabbe and Goyle flinched a little.

‘I TOLD YOU,’ Snape said loudly and nastily, ‘I WILL NOT GIVE YOU ANY OF MY CHOCOLATE. I DO NOT WANT YOUR-’ Snape paused to look with utter distaste on the rather demolished pieces of chocolate Goyle held in his hand, ‘PUTRID CHOCOLATE. NOW LEAVE!’

‘What’s going on here?’ Another Auror, newly arrived, moved toward the cell.

‘These two up to their usual antics,’ remarked the Auror overseeing Crabbe and Goyle. 

The newly arrived Auror rolled his eyes and reached down to grab his enchanted keys. Confusion crossed his features when he discovered they were not hanging from his belt. ‘I must have left my keys in the office,’ he said to his fellow Auror, ‘can you open this cell?’ Without waiting for an answer he turned his eyes upon the two young men, ‘you two go on to the hall if that is where you are headed, Snape has a visitor.’ 

Snape scowled, ‘if it is Malfoy I have no intention of seeing that-’

‘Come along, Snape, it is your regular visitor,’ the Auror cut in as his cell was opened.

‘But-’ Goyle began; however, he cut himself off and turned quickly when a loud scream reverberated off the stone walls of the prison hallway.

Everyone looked at the door that led to the cell passage, the scream had emanated from the other side. Moments later the Aurors overseeing Crabbe, Goyle and Snape began running toward the door. There were several other prisoners in the passage way at the time and their accompanying Aurors followed suit. 

Snape frowned and moved quickly behind the Aurors, craning his neck to see what was happening as they pulled open the door to the cell passageway.

Crabbe and Goyle did not follow the professor however. Their shallow minds had only one goal: To get a piece of Snape’s delectable looking chocolate. 

The lads quickly moved into Snape’s unattended cell and pulled two of his chocolates from the box then as one turned to head back out of the cell.

‘Wait,’ Crabbe said, stopping suddenly, ‘let’s wrap up your chocolates in that paper and put them back in the box. Snape will never know!’

Goyle nodded and quickly unwrapped the fancy chocolates, replaced them with those he had in hand and twisted the ends; tossing them into the box in the empty spaces and then ran with his mate giddily from the cell. The two moved quickly knocking down an older woman prisoner moving along the passage as they exited the cell door, jostling her badly. 

‘Oh,’ cried the old woman, trying to regain her balance.

‘Sorry,’ Crabbe and Goyle said together. 

The woman stared angrily at the two of them, ‘you boys should be more careful.’

Crabbe and Goyle both wanted to get as far away from Snape’s cell as possible and rushed away, barely hearing the woman. ‘Sorry,’ they called again over their shoulders as they departed.

Snape had followed the Aurors through the door to the passageway and stood watching a woman writhing on the ground in full convulsions. She seemed as if she was possessed or under the Cruciatus curse, but that was highly unlikely here at Azkaban. Curses were no longer used by the Aurors and no on else had a wand. 

The woman suddenly went limp as two Aurors lifted her from the ground and carried her off toward the hospital ward.

‘Alright everyone,’ one of the remaining Aurors yelled, ‘back to your cells or wherever you were headed.’

The few prisoners who had followed the Aurors to watch the scene obediently moved toward their original goals. 

Snape’s Auror had not been among those that had taken the woman away and he arrived at Snape’s cell door a moment after the Professor.

‘Okay Snape, your visitor is still waiting I believe, let’s go.’

Snape moved into his cell and pulled the box of chocolates from his desk top. He then turned and followed the Auror to the visiting rooms.

Crabbe and Goyle’s Auror met up with them as well, noting Goyle passing a piece of chocolate to his mate, retaining one in his hand. 

‘Enough nonsense!’ the Auror yelled, completely fed up. He yanked the chocolates out of their hands in tandem and shoved them into the pocket of his robe. 

Crabbe and Goyle looked at him with surprised distress, rendered speechless by his act of aggression against them.

‘GO!’ he yelled.

The two turned and moved with dragging footsteps toward the hall.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The only person in a good mood at the Dragon’s practice session was Harry. Blaise was in a particularly foul mood, yelling and screaming at the players as if he was the captain. He even screamed at Michael, their captain, causing an all out brawl among the players. 

Harry was not involved; nothing seemed to influence his good mood. He flew around with Cho Chang, their back up Seeker, chasing the snitch with a smile seemingly plastered to his face.

Blaise flew suddenly upward and screamed at Harry and Cho, ‘team meeting now, on the ground!’ His face collapsed into a frown as he met Harry’s eyes, ‘and wipe that fucking soppy smile off your face, you look like a bloody idiot.’

Harry’s smile grew even wider as he and Cho flew down to join the other players. Everyone seemed to be on edge due to their upcoming game against their heated rivals. The coaches joined them and gave what they hoped would be a motivating speech to the players then sent them out for more practice. 

It was a fiasco and by the end, the players were frustrated and angry with one another. 

Except Harry.

Harry left the changing room after practice to a room full of glares. Everyone seemed to be angry at him for daring to be _happy_ in the circumstances. 

Harry was simply too exhausted after too many late nights to be anything else. His life goal was reduced to reaching the pit and getting some sleep before the twins’ party that evening. The only delay he’d allow would be speaking to Sirius and Remus about what had them arguing the previous day, assuming they’d permit it. 

However, when he arrived home, he found a note from Sirius advising that they’d gone to meet with their detective friend, Nicolas and would return to accompany him to the twins’ party. Harry sighed and climbed up to his room. He fell onto the bed like a ton of bricks, sleep capturing him nearly before his eyes closed. 

He was shaken awake what seemed like hours later by Remus. Apparently, he’d slept through the entire afternoon.

‘We have to be at the Burrow in about half an hour, Harry. You need to shower and dress.’

Harry nodded, pulling himself from the bed. He showered and shaved, then put on a pair of jeans with a shirt Mrs. Weasley had made for him for his birthday. It was awful, but everyone would be wearing them to show their love for her, despite her awful skills. 

Harry hated shopping for gifts. This year he’d come up with the idea of buying presents for everyone at the start of the year in one trip. He pulled down the gifts he’d gotten for the twins, already wrapped and with cards attached. Presents in hand, he joined Sirius and Remus downstairs. 

When they arrived at the Burrow, there was a bit of commotion as everyone greeted Sirius and Remus. They saw quite a bit of Harry all year, so he didn’t receive any fanfare.

Mrs. Weasley had the birthday dinner ready and they sat down to a delicious meal. This was followed by the twins opening their gifts; entirely made up of gags and hijinks, except the matching, frightful sweaters from Mrs. Weasley. The twins were loud and crazy as they explored their bounty and it made for a good time.

When they finished eating birthday cake, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry aside, asking to speak to him privately.

They moved to a small den and the Weasleys anxiously explained that they had become concerned about Ginny and wished for Harry to talk to her. Harry frowned at the completely unexpected request and listened while they filled him in. They extracted a promise from Harry to try and speak with her. 

Harry was not as close to Ginny as he had once been, but their relationship had slowly turned into one of sibling love. Apparently all of her immediate family members had tried to talk to her and failed; the Weasleys seemed to believe Harry might have better luck. 

When he left the den, Harry returned to the main salon and found Ginny seated on the couch, looking somewhat dispirited. He asked if he could speak to her privately for a moment and Ginny nodded. As they moved upstairs toward her bedroom, he could feel her mood deteriorating. 

Despite that, Harry wasn’t prepared when she rounded on him in fury as he crossed the threshold of her bedroom. 

‘I saw you talking with my parents, so I know what this is about,’ Ginny spat, ‘I have no intention of speaking to you – or anyone else - about anything, Harry.’

He frowned, completely taken aback, ‘they are worried about you. They just wanted me to-’

But Ginny cut him off, her expression full of spite, ‘thanks, but I have absolutely nothing to say to you except that I don’t wish to talk about anything now or in the future.’

Harry was at a rare loss for words, but he knew certain defeat when he saw it. He gave a curt nod of his head, but his eyes were warm, ‘okay. But if you ever want to talk to me Ginny, I’m here.’

The realization that he wasn’t going to try to force her to talk to him seemed to calm her down. A ghost of a smile appeared about her lips, ‘I know that. Thank you.’

‘How are you? I have not seen you in a while.’ 

‘I’m fine. Despite what my parents think, I am perfectly fine.’

Harry nodded and sat on her bed, ‘sit down with me a moment?’

Ginny looked at him warily.

‘Let’s talk about me,’ he said with a cheeky smile, ‘you are curious about me aren’t you? I’m sure you have seen ‘the kiss’ as I think they are calling it.’

Ginny gave a small genuine laugh at that and sat down next to him, ‘yes. It was rather difficult to miss. Mom and Dad forbid us to discuss it unless you brought it up; what with all of the press they thought it might be embarrassing.’ Her expression was inquisitive, ‘but I admit I am curious. Draco Malfoy…?’

Harry bit his lip on a smile.

‘It’s all still quite new for you, eh?’ she said slowly.

Harry met her eyes a little surprised that she perceived his situation so accurately, ‘yes exactly. But so few seem to understand that and believe we are already an established couple based on that kiss.’

Ginny laughed lightly, ‘yeah. People assume you have it all worked out and can answer questions about your feelings and so forth, but of course you have nothing to say when it is all new and developing.’

Harry nodded, his brow creasing a little. 

‘That’s natural,’ Ginny said, frowning in response to his change of expression. She leaned to where a pitcher and treats sat on a small end table, ‘want some?’

Harry realized she feared he was going to turn the conversation back to her, but he had no intention of doing so. 

‘Sure,’ he responded, accepting water and a treat. He was full from dinner, but he understood her offer to be more of a distraction than anything else and wanted to put her at ease. ‘In any case, despite what the articles like to pretend, there is nothing serious between Draco and me.’

That brought another chuckle from her, ‘I don’t read the papers much, but I figured as much. 

Harry was glad to see she looked relaxed once more. They spoke about the upcoming game between the Slayers and Dragons for a while and then Ginny stood up. ‘We probably should go downstairs.’ She met his eyes, ‘I hope you are happy, Harry. You deserve it.’

Harry stood also, his familiar wide grin making an appearance, ‘I’m very happy.’

She smiled in return, ‘thank you for being such a good friend.’ 

Harry knew she was referring to his not pressing her to discuss anything. He impulsively reached and pulled her into a hug. She seemed reluctant at first, but she didn’t pull away and eventually she softened in his arms. 

‘I hope you are happy too, Ginny.’

‘I’m fine,’ she said firmly. 

Harry held her a bit tighter, ‘if you need me for anything or just want to talk, just firecall me.’ 

Ginny smiled and moved out of his embrace. She met his eyes and nodded before leading them from her room.

The party broke up fairly early, with Charlie and Bill coaxing Sirius and Remus to accompanying them to Hogsmeade to see a motion picture at a new theatre just opened. Muggle movies had become all the rage and many motion picture houses were opening to accommodate the fad. 

When they left, Harry suggested to Ron that they go to the Unicorn, but Ron declared he was not feeling well and planned to remain at his parents’ home for the night. 

‘How come you didn’t tell me about Ginny?’ Harry asked.

Ron just shook his head and waved a dismissive hand before turning to walk away.

Harry elevated his brows, unsure if Ron was sicker than he looked or he simply didn’t take any of it very seriously. 

Harry bid the family goodbye and headed out alone to the Unicorn; it was early enough that there would be a number of players still about. He didn’t try to kid himself; he was hoping a certain player would be there. He popped by the pit to grab a different shirt; he’d never hear the end of it if he turned up in Mrs. Weasley’s Birthday gift. 

A short while later, Harry entered the Unicorn and saw a number of players were present, trading loud barbs and causing a general ruckus as usual. He got safely past a rather eager looking journalist and moved toward the Dragon table. His eyes scanned the room for Draco and he saw that he was seated with his Slayer teammates, in conversation with his team captain. 

Harry arrived at the Dragons’ table and slid in next to Blaise. His bright smile was met with a grimace from his still rather irritated teammate. 

‘What are you so damned happy about?’ Blaise asked nastily.

Harry chuckled and ignored the question, ‘I’m thirsty; where is Bella?’ he looked about for the veela waitress. 

‘She went to re-fill her tray she’ll be back.’ Blaise said tiredly.

A Slayer player walked by their table on the way to the loo and saw Blaise’s disgruntled features, ‘aw,’ he taunted, ‘does Blaisey need a nappy change?’

Blaise looked up angrily, ‘Shut it Marcus,’ he yelled at the player, ‘before I shut it for you.’

Marcus laughed and continued on his way.

‘Those fuckers are going to pay this weekend, we are going to kick their bloody asses,’ Blaise said tersely. ‘I could use another beer,’ he looked around, ‘damn that Bella, what the hell is taking her so long?’ He reached into his pocket and began feeling around and his face suddenly filled with anger.

‘What are you looking for?’ Harry asked.

‘Draco!’ Blaise yelled in response.

‘What?’ Draco looked at Blaise from the Slayer table.

‘Get over here. Now!’

Draco smiled lazily and arose from the Slayer table, making his way slowly to the Dragon table.

Harry laughed figuring Blaise was going to give Draco hell for something or another. Not that he was complaining; it got Draco to their table. Harry began looking around for Bella again. She was no where in sight. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a piece of candy. Untying the wrapper, he plopped it into his mouth. 

Draco arrived at their table and his eyes flickered to meet Harry’s before moving toward Blaise. However they instantly flickered back in his direction and froze as he stared at the candy wrapper Harry had thrown on the table. 

It was unmistakably the same wrapper used on the candies Draco had given to Snape! He looked from the candy wrapper to Harry and back again, his eyes widening with surprise.

‘What?’ Harry asked noting his regard.

Blaise, who had been on the point of yelling at Draco, swallowed his words at Draco’s strange behavior and Harry’s interruption. 

‘Harry!’ Draco cried anxiously. Harry had suddenly grabbed his throat and lurched forward, wheezing like the devil. 

Everyone around them stared, stunned by Harry’s sudden fit. Blaise and Draco quickly moved to assist the Gryffindor.

Harry’s body started convulsing and it was evident that he could not breathe, he was gasping, making choking sounds, and his hands were pulling at his throat. 

Blaise began pounding on Harry’s back, thinking the chocolate went down the wrong pipe. Draco pulled his wand and sent a spell, but nothing seemed to help. Harry’s face had turned purple and he was emitting a thin whine, as if he was struggling to get air into his lungs. 

Others ran over wands in hand sending random spells that didn’t appear to have any effect. 

Harry’s torso went taut and jerked upward. With a final gasp he went limp and his body slumped. Blaise and Draco grabbed him tighter still to prevent him falling to the floor.

Everyone began talking animatedly at once. 

Blaise was yelling loudly over all of them, ‘we’ve got to get him to St. Mungos.’ 

Draco snapped into action. He gripped Harry tightly and without a word he apparated.

\--------------------

Draco paced nervously in the waiting room. It had only been fifteen minutes but it seemed like hours since he’d gotten Harry to the wizard hospital. 

Blaise, all of Harry’s teammates and several others had also apparated to the hospital on Draco’s heels, but upon realizing who the patient was, the resident healer sent them all into a lower waiting room, allowing only Draco, who’d appeared with Harry, to stay. 

The healer told Draco that he would need information, but he didn’t need a throng of wizards yelling incomprehensible words at him, and he was certain that would be the case if they were all allowed to stay in the upper waiting room, normally reserved for family.

Draco became frustrated waiting alone and walked out of the room to a nearby healer’s station.

‘How is he,’ he demanded of the woman behind the counter.

‘How is whom?’

‘Harry’

‘Harry?’

‘Harry Potter, you idiot!’

The woman looked offended, angry and surprised all at once, but surprise ruled out, ‘Harry Potter is here?’

Draco turned angrily and began storming down the hall, intending to find the room where they had taken him. He wasn’t watching where he was going and ran directly into a healer alighting from one of the rooms. Draco looked up and with some relief noted it was the healer who had taken charge of Harry when they arrived.

‘How is he?’ Draco demanded anxiously.

‘I was just coming to find you. It looks like you reached us in time. He will be alright.’

Draco felt as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders, but he ignored the sensation. His forced his mind to calm, so that he could concentrate on what the healer was saying.

‘Our best healers have apparated in. He’s in good hands.’

‘What was it?’ Draco asked anxiously, ‘what happened? Did he choke?’ 

‘Not exactly. He ingested poison.’

‘P-poison?’

The healer nodded solemnly. ‘I am afraid so. It appears as though there was poison in something he ate, from what we can ascertain it was something containing chocolate.’

Draco’s eyes rounded. ‘ch-chocolate?’

‘Yes and if you hadn’t arrived when you did, Harry would no longer be with us. When I think what that would have meant to our world!’ he gushed.

Draco ignored the man’s self-suffering moment of woe, ‘but he is going to be alright?’

‘Yes. I have to try and locate Sirius Black, his godfather.’

Draco’s mind was still in somewhat of a daze, but he managed to make out what the healer had said. ‘He’s here; Black is staying at Harry’s home.’

‘Oh good. Thank you.’

‘Can I see him?’ Draco asked, his mind whirling with thought.

‘He is still undergoing healing spells at the moment; perhaps later.’ He furrowed his brow, ‘do you know what he was eating and where he got it?’

‘I- I am not sure,’ Draco hedged. 

The healer’s expression was matter of fact, ‘well because it is Harry, Aurors have arrived from the Ministry, and the Minister himself is here. They would like a word with you – just to get any information you might be able to give; if you wouldn’t mind following me?’

Draco nodded dumbly and followed the healer to the end of the hall and into a suite of offices. He was led to a small room and escorted inside. The healer left him in the company of two Aurors and the Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt. 

‘Thank you for coming,’ Shacklebolt said, ‘Please sit down, Mr. Malfoy.’

Draco fell into the only chair in the room and stared at the men with an expression of concern. 

When Shacklebolt continued, his tone was kind, ‘we were advised that you arrived with Harry. I know you two have recently become very close friends. Can you tell us what happened?’ 

Draco’s eyes flickered a little, the Minister obviously had seen “the kiss”, but he thrust the thought from his mind; he had to keep his wits about him. When he spoke, his voice was sure, ‘I have no idea. We were all at the bar – the Unicorn – where all of the players go after Quidditch practice. He came in kind of late and sat down at a table with his team. Blaise, one of his teammates, called me over to the table and when I arrived, Harry was eating…something…and then he just started choking and convulsing, and finally he just blacked out. I immediately apparated him here.’

‘I see,’ Kingsley said smoothly, ‘did you see what he was eating?’

‘What he was – uh – no – that is, I didn’t notice.’ Draco wondered if the Aurors could tell he was lying, their expressions hadn’t changed, so he was hopeful. 

‘Was it food from the Unicorn? They serve food don’t they?’

‘Yes, but I- I don’t remember what he was eating exactly. He started choking when I arrived and my attention was on Harry.’

‘Of course,’ Shacklebolt said understandingly. ‘Very well, that is all for now. We may have a few more questions in the future. Maybe some of the others that came over from the bar will know more. We are going to interview them now. Thank you for your assistance.’ 

‘Anything I can do to help,’ Draco responded. 

Draco’s brain was working furiously as he re-entered the upper waiting room; however, he was pulled from his contemplations at the sound of commotion in the hallway. He quickly moved to the door and pushing it open slightly. 

Draco watched, as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin raced down the hallway behind a healer. He noted the room they stopped in front of and then saw the healer trying to dissuade them from entering. Clearly Harry was still undergoing treatment. However, Sirius and Remus brushed by the healer and entered the room. The healer shook his head and walked back toward the office. 

Draco sat down in one of the comfortable waiting room chairs, sighing heavily. The healer had said Harry would be alright, but if that didn’t turn out to be the case, he didn’t know what he’d do. He cursed himself for the tenth time for having given the damn chocolates to Snape.

When Sirius and Remus entered the room, they rushed to Harry’s bed, noting his eyes were closed and his face was chalk white. Three healers surrounded him, two looked to be taking readings with their wands and a third was casting a spell.

Sirius pushed past one of the healers and leaned over his godson. ‘Harry,’ he hissed, his voice an emotional whisper.

The healer casting the spell looked at Sirius, his brow furrowed with anger. ‘What are you doing here? No one is allowed in here right now. You must leave.’

Sirius completely ignored the man, brushing Harry’s hair back from his scar. 

‘I told you to get out,’ the healer cried, furiously.

‘Harry,’ Sirius whispered again.

The healer opened his mouth to threaten Black, but froze and stared when Harry’s head began moving from side to side.

‘Out of the way, Black,’ the healer said, thrusting his wand forward and casting another spell.

Sirius lifted his body away slightly and watched as Harry responded to the spell. A few moments later Harry’s eyes flickered open and he took in the sight of several large heads peering over him.

Harry’s vision cleared slowly, ‘Sirius?’ he muttered groggily.

‘Harry,’ Sirius said, his voice sounding awfully close to a sob.

‘Thank god,’ Remus whispered, standing a bit behind.

‘I need to cast one final spell, Black,’ the healer demanded in a firm tone.

Sirius looked at the healer for the first time and a bit of astonishment crossed his features. ‘Frank, oh, damn, didn’t realize it was you.’

Frank smiled wryly, ‘well it is and you are in my way.’

Sirius backed away and allowed Frank to perform another spell.

Harry groaned lightly, squeezing his eyes tightly for a moment, but color began flooding back into his cheeks and his eyes were much clearer when they reopened. 

‘Didn’t know you had become a healer,’ Sirius murmured as he moved to bow over Harry once more. Frank had been an old school chum of his at Hogwarts and had worked for the Order after that. 

‘Well I have and you have broken all protocol,’ Frank said arrogantly behind him, but then his voice softened, ‘although, I think hearing your voice might have brought him around.’

Sirius barely heard him; he had begun speaking softly to Harry. Remus had moved forward as well and stood looking down with concern, waiting for Sirius to convince himself that Harry wasn’t going to join the after-world.

\-----------------

After about forty-five minutes, Draco lost all patience and left the waiting room. As he began making his way down the hall, he saw the door to Harry’s room burst open and three healers rush out causing his level of anxiety to rise. 

However, the door burst open again almost immediately and Sirius came out. He looked to be in a hurry as well, but he paused when he saw Draco nearing the room. 

‘Malfoy,’ Sirius said.

Draco noted with relief that he didn’t seem upset; that bid well for Harry. 

‘Is he alright?’ Draco asked, his tone anxious and a little hesitant.

‘Yes, he’s much recovered already. Thank you for bringing him here so swiftly.’

Draco nodded.

‘He asked if you were still here. You should go in; I think he wants to thank you personally. I have to speak to the Minister and the healers.’

Draco nodded again, noting the slightly knowing look from Sirius. He moved by him quickly and entered the room. 

‘Draco,’ Harry murmured when he stepped inside.

Relief again washed over Draco upon seeing Harry. The bed had been raised to allow him to sit up a little and he looked much better than the last time he’d seen him. Course anything would be better; Harry had been one step from death. 

Remus was standing over the bed, but upon sighting Draco, he gave a small smile in greeting before moving toward the door. ‘I am going to find Sirius, we’ll be back in a few minutes.’

Harry smiled, ‘thanks.’

‘How are you feeling?’ Draco asked approaching the bed once Remus left.

Harry gave him a lopsided grin, ‘I’m good.’

Draco grinned in return, ‘well you look much better.’

‘I imagine. They told me I was on the brink of death.’

Draco nodded, ‘it was awful. You were convulsing then you just collapsed.’

Harry nodded, furrowing his brow a little, ‘ta for getting me here.’

‘Me and about 50 others actually.’

Confusion entered Harry’s eyes.

‘From the bar - they are all down in the lower waiting room.’ He grinned then, ‘but yeah, I was the hero that apparated you here.’

Harry’s grin matched, ‘my hero’ he joked.

Draco’s grin widened to a grimaced smile, but then his brow furrowed, ‘about that chocolate you were eating at the Unicorn,’ Draco began.

‘They told me,’ Harry interjected, ‘it was poisonous.’

Draco nodded, ‘yeah, that is what caused you to become ill.’

‘You mean nearly killed me.’ 

Draco’s frown increased, ‘where did you get it?’

Harry looked suddenly uncomfortable, ‘I…I don’t really remember.’

Draco’s face grew somber, ‘Harry, the chocolate you were eating was from a box that held one-of-a-kind chocolates. There are no other chocolates like them in the world.’

Harry frowned deeply, ‘how do you know that?’

‘I know.’

‘Yes, but how do you know?’

‘Where did you get it Harry?’ Draco’s tone carried an edge.

‘I don’t see why-’

‘I’ll tell you why. I know exactly who you got it from.’

Harry looked at Draco in amazement, ‘you do?’

‘I do.’

‘But how, I mean…?’

‘Because I gave the box of chocolates to the person who gave it to you.’

‘You?’ Harry looked thunderstruck, ‘you?’ he repeated, ‘but…what…I mean-’ Harry stopped speaking suddenly and his visage grew stern, ‘why would you give chocolates to Ginny?’

It was Draco’s turn to look astonished, ‘Ginny?’

‘Ginny gave me the chocolate earlier tonight.’

Draco looked completely puzzled. He drew a hand to his temple and began massaging it. If Harry got the chocolate from Ginny, that meant she had gotten them from Snape. Snape’s mystery visitor had to have been Ginny. It made no sense…

‘Why did you give Ginny chocolates?’ Harry pressed; his tone wary now.

‘I didn’t give-’ Draco cut himself off, ‘Ginny visits Snape at Azkaban?’ he questioned, his tone laced with wonder.

Harry flinched and then looked at Draco with narrowed eyes, ‘how do you know about that?’

‘I didn’t, I just – it is just that I gave the chocolates to Snape and if Ginny gave you one it would mean that he had given one to her.’

‘Not one, the whole box,’ Harry said slowly his expression suddenly filling with acute fear, ‘I didn’t think of it earlier – I told them I got the chocolate from Ginny, but I neglected to tell them there was a whole box full of them! You’ve got to call Sirius or Remus – now – we have to warn Ginny, tell her not to eat the chocolates or to give any to anyone else!’

‘I’m sure they will tell her-’ Draco began.

‘Maybe, but I don’t know when! Please go get-’

‘Okay, okay,’ Draco said worriedly, Harry had gone pale and the last thing he needed was to be stressed out. 

Draco ran from the room and returned a short while later with Remus, who moved immediately to Harry’s side. 

‘Sirius is speaking with your healer, Harry, what’s happened?’ Remus asked.

‘Remus, the chocolate I ate,’ he said excitedly, ‘I told you I got it from Ginny, but I forgot to tell you that she had a whole box of it! Has anyone warned her not to eat them or give anymore away?’

Remus startled and stared at Harry for a moment before jumping into action. ‘I’ll be back shortly,’ he declared as he ran from the room.

Harry watched him rush out then pressed a hand to his temple, ‘I hope she hasn’t eaten any,’ he said, his tone full of anxiety. 

Draco sat in one of the visitor’s chairs and searched his mind for words. He was not accustomed to comforting others and Harry certainly required comforting. He bit his lip wondering what to say.

‘You need to calm the fuck down,’ was what Draco came up with.

Harry stared at him with intense anger, ‘she is like a sister to me. If anything happens to Ginny-’

‘It won’t, just relax.’

‘How do you know?’ Harry spat, ‘for all we know she may have already eaten them!’

‘If she’d already eaten them, she’d be here too. I’m sure her family wouldn’t just sit watching her convulse.’

Harry’s anger seemed to increase at his words. ‘Sure, if they see her! The chocolates were in her bedroom. She could have been all alone up there and eaten one!’

Draco had no answers for Harry, so he just sat and stared at the Gryffindor’s downturned head. The question of what Harry had been doing in Ginny’s bedroom flittered through his mind, but he brushed it aside. 

What seemed like hours of silence later, but was in fact mere minutes, Remus burst back into the room and moved bed-side. Draco breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the sight. 

Harry looked up anxiously.

‘She hasn’t eaten them nor has she given any away other than the one to you earlier,’ he said in a rush of words, ‘I knew you would be worried so I popped back here to let you know, but I have to speak to Sirius and then return to the Burrow, naturally Ginny and the family are full of questions and I haven’t explained anything to them yet.’

‘Thank god. Thank you Remy.’ The color was slowly returning to Harry’s face.

Remus smiled, ‘try to relax; I know that was stressful.’ He pressed Harry’s tousled hair back, but it popped up again as soon as he withdrew his hand. ‘I’ll be back shortly if all of this portkeying doesn’t kill me,’ Remus added as he turned toward the door.

‘Remy,’ Harry called, stopping the man’s progress, ‘I don’t know if she will mention it or not, but it appears that she may have gotten them from Snape.’

Remus’ jaw dropped, ‘Snape?’

Harry swallowed, ‘she has been visiting him for some time at the prison…at Azkaban, although very few people know about it. I believe that he gave them to her.’

Remus’ expression moved from furious to determination in a matter of seconds. He took a deep breath and nodded at Harry, ‘I’ll handle everything, Harry; just you relax.’ 

Remus pulled the door open and moved quickly through.

When he left, Draco looked at Harry and noted his anger appeared to have fled. ‘Good news. Feel better?’

‘Yeah,’ Harry responded sighing a bit.

‘I can’t imagine Snape would poison the chocolates,’ Draco said distractedly.

‘From the sounds of things he did just that. Who else could have done it?’

‘The chocolates certainly were not poisonous when I gave them to Snape,’ Draco declared.

That provoked a wan smile from Harry, ‘I do not think you were trying to kill Snape, Draco.’

‘Would be impossible even if I had wanted to; the Aurors check and test everything that passes through the gates of Azkaban.’

Harry nodded.

A thought struck Draco and he spoke without thinking, ‘what if Snape didn’t poison the chocolates? If it happened after he gave them away.’ 

Harry looked at him warningly, ‘Ginny wouldn’t have done it! She would never do that…not to me or anyone else.’

‘I didn’t mean her necessarily,’ Draco invented, but that had been exactly what he meant. He kicked himself for having suggested it aloud. 

‘You, Snape and Ginny were the only people to have handled the chocolates. It had to have been him.’

Draco nodded as if in complete agreement. ‘Why was Ginny visiting him anyway?’ he asked, desperate to change the topic.

Harry shrugged a little, ‘apparently she has been visiting him for some time. She told her parents that they discuss potions, but her parents are worried about it. I just found out about it today – I tried to talk to her, but she didn’t want to discuss it with me.’

‘Since when has Ginny become so interested in potions?’

‘Exactly,’ Harry said sighing, ‘I mean, she did start showing some curiosity in potions a while back, but nothing extraordinary. The thing is, she may have originally gone to visit Snape to ask him something about potions, but she has continued to go…regularly and frequently and well…’

Draco’s expression was wry, ‘you think there might be something else going on between them?’

Harry shrugged again, ‘I can’t imagine what, and yet, there must be some reason…a reason that led him to want to poison her. It makes little sense…’

‘None at all,’ Draco agreed.

‘Hopefully Remus will discover what is behind all of this when he talks to her.’ Harry frowned again, his mind collapsing into thought.

Draco noticed that Harry seemed to have gone a bit pale once more. ‘I’m sure he will,’ he said, deciding another topic change was in order. ‘Did the healers say when you will get out of here? Will you be able to play in our game this weekend?’

‘Nope. The healers said I would be here at least 3 days; I have to rest until the poison is out of my system.’ Harry’s expression turned sardonic, ‘I am certain you are very upset about that.’

Draco grinned, ‘terribly upset; I feel like weeping.’

Harry narrowed his eyes, ‘you may well be weeping after the game. Our backup seeker is pretty tight.’

‘The only thing tight about Cho Chang is her ass.’

Harry laughed and Draco felt relief upon hearing it. 

‘I wouldn’t be so smug about it if I were you. She can be very dangerous,’ Harry warned.

‘I’m shaking with fright.’

‘You fucking should be.’

Draco laughed. ‘I admit that it won’t be the same; the best games have all the best players in.’

‘Ah, so you admit I am the best,’ Harry’s wide smile appeared.

That pulled a smile from Draco, ‘the best Dragon perhaps.’ 

Harry acknowledged with a nod.

‘Well I should be going, you need to rest’ Draco said rising.

‘You don’t have to leave, I am not that tired.’

‘You may not feel tired, but you are fighting off poison and as the healers advised, you have to sleep it off. Besides, I should get home, I have another double practice tomorrow and I haven’t gotten much sleep the last few days,’ he gave Harry a knowing look.

Harry laughed, ‘true.’ His expression grew serious, ‘listen Draco, I don’t think you should get involved in all of this. I mean, don’t try to talk to Snape about what has happened.’

Draco scowled, ‘I have every intention of speaking to Snape. I can’t believe he would-’

‘Draco, please don’t. I think it would be better if you just stayed out of it.’

Draco frowned, ‘why? I gave him the chocolates and I have a right to know what the hell-’

‘I know,’ Harry cut in, ‘but I would really prefer it if you left it to the Ministry and Aurors. Snape was willing to kill Ginny, who knows what he would do to you if you start accusing him.’

‘He could hardly harm me, Harry. He’s in Azkaban for god sakes.’

‘Right, he is and yet here I lay nearly poisoned to death. I’d just feel much better if you stayed out of it.’

Draco narrowed his eyes a bit, ‘are you going to tell them that I gave the chocolates to Snape?’

Harry met his eyes, ‘is there some reason I shouldn’t?’

Draco shook his head instantly, ‘no. But of course that is going to get me involved whether we like it or not.’

‘I don’t see how really; I mean the Aurors will be able to verify that the chocolate was clean when you gave it to him.’

Draco nodded slowly. He met Harry’s eyes and noticed that he was looking a bit haggard again. Dealing with stress was obviously taking its toll on him and Draco suddenly felt like shit for adding to it.

‘Yeah, okay. I’ll stay out of it as much as possible.’

Harry wasn’t convinced. ‘I’m serious Draco.’ 

‘Okay, okay, I won’t get involved!’ Draco declared, ‘I will do a bloody unbreakable vow with you over it if you insist, but please just calm down and stop begging me for things I have already promised.’

Harry grinned a little, his pallor returning to something more normal, ‘thanks, I really appreciate it.’

Draco shook his head a little sighing, ‘if you are finished making demands of me, I’ll be on my way.’

Harry nodded, a small laugh escaping him, ‘you can go now’.

‘Get well,’ Draco said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone before walking to the door. 

When Draco opened the door he jumped, startled at the sight of Sirius standing before him in the doorway. He noted there was a twinkle of amusement in the elder Gryffindor’s eyes. He wondered how long he’d been standing there. 

‘I’m just leaving,’ Draco said uncomfortably.

Sirius nodded, grinning, ‘thanks again for getting Harry here.’

Draco gave a small smile before quickly departing.

Sirius moved to the bed and looked down at his rather content looking godson, ‘how are you feeling?’ he asked. 

‘Much better, thanks. Has Remus returned?’

Sirius looked suddenly angry, but it was obvious he was attempting to rein in his ire, ‘He did return, but he’s gone back to the Burrow again. He told me everything…he is…speaking with Ginny.’

‘She got the candies from Snape,’ Harry remarked.

Sirius’ face took on a very black aspect, ‘yes I know,’ he said, his voice almost a snarl. Then his face cleared, ‘but don’t you worry about any of that. We’ll take care of everything.’

‘Ginny-’

‘Ginny is fine.’ Sirius’ face collapsed into anger again, ‘however Snape-’ he began.

‘Why would he try and poison her?’ Harry interrupted, ‘I mean, she has been visiting him for some time now. It has her parents worried and they asked me to speak to her about it. I tried, but she wouldn’t talk to me.’ 

Sirius looked as if he might explode with anger any moment, ‘yes I know that as well. They are going to speak with Ginny now and try to find out-’ 

‘They?’ Harry asked, cutting him off.

‘The Ministry has gotten involved; they were under the impression someone was trying to poison you. Shacklebolt ordered a couple of his Aurors to accompany Remus back to the Burrow. And I have asked my friend Nicolas to join them as well; I want him to oversee the matter. Remus said Ginny was at a loss to explain the poisoned chocolate, so his detective skills will be useful.’ 

‘Why are they interrogating her? Ginny didn’t do anything, it was Snape.’ 

‘They are just getting information from her. Don’t worry, Remus, Nicolas and her family will make sure no harm comes to her. Now you just relax and get some rest, we’ll take care of everything.’

‘It has to be Snape – but I don’t see how he would have achieved it from Azkaban.’

‘Well if Snape is responsible for this, then it is possible he had assistance from the outside. I agree it would be very difficult for him to poison the chocolates while in Azkaban. Nonetheless, he may have found a way to do it. He has always had his big nose in potions books, Merlin knows what he may have come up with using ordinary foods and items at the prison.’

Harry’s face crunched into a look of confusion, ‘that just seems crazy.’

‘You forget that we are talking about the completely demented Snivellous Snape. I wouldn’t put anything passed that greasy, rat bastard. He’s an evil, no-good swine; always has been and always will be.’

Harry didn’t look convinced and his worry was evident.

‘They’ll get to the bottom of it, Harry,’ Sirius said, softening his tone, ‘you don’t need to bother with any of it right now. The healers confirmed that a little poison remains in your system and it may take a couple of days until it is completely gone. They are going to continue with spells to help the process along, but you have to rest.’ 

Harry nodded and tilted his head up to accept a kiss on the cheek.

‘I’m fine.’ Harry assured him.

Sirius looked at him fondly, ‘I can stay a while if you like; they don’t really need me at the Burrow right now.’

‘I’d like that.’ 

Sirius smiled, a twinkle in his eye as he slumped into a chair and looked at Harry, ‘so what did you and Draco talk about? Or a better question might be, was there any talking involved?’

Harry laughed, ‘I have no intention of feeding your auditory voyeurism. But there is one thing I wanted to mention. Draco told me that it was he who originally gave the chocolates to Snape.’

Sirius’ chair banged into the wall as he sat up, ‘what?’

‘He visits him from time to time, and he gave the chocolates to Snape. But he didn’t poison them; they were checked by the Auror’s prior to his delivering them.’

Sirius relaxed a bit, ‘well that is true. They thoroughly test everything that comes through, in case a vengeful visitor is planning to kill one of the prisoners. Still, I should inform Nicolas and the Aurors. They’ll want to know.’

‘But you have to make them understand that Draco had nothing to do with it, Siri. I don’t want Draco involved in this if possible.’

‘Why did Draco give Snape chocolates? Why would he give gifts to that git?’

Harry realized he hadn’t asked Draco about that. ‘I don’t know,’ he said with worry in his tone.

Sirius narrowed his eyes, ‘don’t worry about it Harry, it doesn’t matter why. Like you said, I am sure they tested the chocolates before they left his hands. The Aurors will be able to verify that he was not the one doing the poisoning.’

Harry nodded, still looking a little anxious.

Sirius smiled wishing to cheer Harry up again, ‘I don’t think Draco is out to poison anyone, dear boy. I think he has other things equally as dramatic, but much less lethal on his mind these days.’

The worry left Harry’s eyes and he laughed, ‘you’re fucking mind has drifted into the gutter, Sirius.’

Sirius rolled his eyes, ‘my _fucking_ mind is always in the gutter, Harry.’

Harry’s laughter increased and Sirius joined him. 

A healer came in to cast another spell over Harry and Sirius remained until the healer left and Harry drifted to sleep, then he quietly left the room. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Sirius arrived at the Burrow, Ginny was still being questioned by the Aurors. Ginny sat at the kitchen table flanked by Remus, Nicolas and her worried looking parents. Sirius moved to stand next to Remus and listened.

‘As I told you,’ Ginny was saying softly, ‘the only reason I went was to discuss potions. I am developing a project and he has been helping me. In turn, I take pre-approved potion books and donate them to the Azkaban library. Professor Snape likes to keep up to date on the latest developments in potions.’

‘Yes, so you have said,’ one of the Aurors said, ‘and you also said that he gave you the chocolates as a way of thanking you for bringing the books.’

‘Yes.’

‘And you are certain you have no idea where he got the chocolates?’

‘None. There was…well I am sure it means nothing.’

‘Please Ginny,’ the Auror said gently, ‘anything you can add, no matter how unconnected it may seem might prove helpful.’

Ginny’s voice was timid, ‘well…a while ago he said…well he said that there was someone who seemed to be pestering him or something. Because of the particular conversation we were having at the time, I understood that it was someone who was visiting him …someone he couldn’t refuse to see, but didn’t want to, but they wouldn’t leave him alone. I was thinking maybe he got the chocolates from that person.’

‘We’ve sent a man to Azkaban to discover how he got the chocolates. We will know soon enough. But you have no idea who that person might have been?’

‘None.’

‘I know exactly who it was,’ Sirius cut in suddenly.

All eyes turned toward the animagi, whose face had become grim. While he had been completely convinced of Malfoy’s innocence earlier, this latest information from Ginny put a whole new twist on the situation.

Sirius’ tone sounded ominous, ‘Draco Malfoy gave the chocolates to Snape.’ 

\-------

When Draco left Harry’s room, he headed for the downstairs waiting area and found the room had largely emptied out. Only a few stragglers remained, including Blaise, all on the point of departure. 

Blaise looked entirely molested, ‘this has been hell,’ he grumbled when his friend approached.

Draco looked a question.

‘The Aurors came down and grilled us. I can’t believe that candy Harry ate was poisoned. They wouldn’t say where he got it, but they seemed to believe one of us might have fed it to him.’ He frowned deeply, ‘what went on upstairs? They told us Harry was going to be alright.’

‘He’s going to be fine,’ Draco said, ‘they thought one of you guys gave him the chocolate?’

‘Well they seemed awfully suspicious of me. They kept asking me the same questions over and over; I was the only one down here who’d seen him eat it. That set them off and they interrogated the fuck out of me.’

‘Well you didn’t give it to him.’

‘Yeah, you and I know that, but they seemed to believe I carry poison candy around and randomly hand it out to people on a regular basis.’

Draco’s expression was grim, ‘probably because of your mum,’ he commiserated.

Blaise’s expression blackened, ‘I know everyone believes she had a hand in the death of her seven husbands, but even if that were the case-’

‘But you’ve always said that you believe it too,’ Draco interrupted.

‘Whatever. That doesn’t mean the behavior runs in the family! I had no part in her husband’s deaths and I certainly had no part in what happened to Harry. He’s my friend, but also my Seeker! Do they think I would poison my own Seeker right before our big game?’

Draco shook his head, ‘the deeds of the past follow us like long shadows.’

Blaise rolled his eyes, ‘thanks, Socrates, but platitudes aren’t helping. I just hope they don’t run away with this theory and try to blame me.’

‘Harry is awake; I’m sure he told them it wasn’t from you.’

‘Is he awake? Why didn’t someone tell the Aurors?’

‘He only just woke up.’ 

‘Bastard Aurors, jumping the gun’ Blaise fumed. ‘How’s Harry? Is he going to be able to play this weekend?’

Draco shook his head, ‘unlikely.’

‘Fuck! Double Fuck! That’s the game then,’ Blaise said miserably. He was obviously livid at that turn of events, but after a few moments, his mind returned to the subject at hand, ‘where did he get that chocolate? Did he say?’ 

‘Yeah. Apparently Ginny Weasley gave it to him.’

‘What?’

‘It’s a mess. You remember the chocolates we got for Snape?’

Blaise’s brow furrowed, ‘yeah.’

‘Well I gave them to Snape and Snape gave them to Ginny, then Ginny-’

‘Wait-wait-wait-wait,’ Blaise stuttered, ‘that candy was from the box you gave him?’

Draco nodded, ‘but they were tested before I handed them over.’

Blaise ran a hand through his hair, ‘and Snape gave them to Ginny? What the hell? How did he manage that?’

‘Like I said, it’s a mess. Apparently she’s been visiting him at Azkaban to discuss potions.’

‘And she gave them to Harry?’ Blaise asked.

‘Just the one,’ Draco replied, surprised at the lack of reaction from his friend at what he thought would be shocking news. 

Blaise bit his lip, ‘that makes no sense. Why would Snape give Ginny poisoned chocolates?’

‘Shouldn’t you be asking why Ginny is visiting Snape at Azkaban at all? You act like that is old news.’

‘Well I know she is into potions.’

‘You do?’

‘Sure. You remember that lab my mother’s 6th husband had built in our basement?’

‘Vaguely.’

‘Yeah well, it is a potions lab and Ginny has been using it pretty regularly.’

‘She’s been using it pretty regularly?’ Draco’s face showed his astonishment, ‘since when?’

Blaise looked a little uncomfortable, ‘a few months. She apparently met my mother in a potions shop and they got to talking. I don’t know the fine details, but she’s been coming round for a while now, using it to mix up whatever it is she’s working on.’

Draco looked dumbfounded. ‘Why didn’t you mention this to me?’

Blaise shrugged, ‘why would I?’

Draco didn’t have an answer for that, but his mind was reeling. 

‘Anyway,’ Blaise said, ‘that is why it is not that surprising to me that she would visit Snape. He is probably the best on the subject in the country.’

Draco nodded slowly, ‘but why would he give her chocolates?’

‘Now that I don’t know.’ Blaise frowned.

‘I mean, it is something you might want to do if you are romantically interested in a person, but they were laced with poison, so…’

‘Yeah, I am certain there is nothing romantic going on between them,’ Blaise assured, I’ve spoken with her from time to time. She isn’t off her rocker or anything. No way she’d be interested in Snape – even if he wasn’t an ugly bean.’ 

‘Well perhaps the opposite is true then and it is Snape that has fallen all in for her. Maybe he made a play and she rejected him so he gave her the laced chocolates.’

Blaise shook his head, ‘the whole idea of Snape forming a crush on Ginny is ridiculous.’

Draco nodded, shrugging, ‘as I said, it’s a mess. I have no idea what has happened, but those chocolates ended up laced with poison and either Snape or Ginny injected it.’

‘It wasn’t Ginny. She’s not like that.’

‘Since when are you an authority on Ginny?’

‘We’ve spoken when she comes by in the late afternoons. Believe me, she hasn’t got a rotten bone in her body.’

Something in Blaise’s tone got Draco looking at his friend speculatively, ‘exactly what goes on between you two in that basement?’

Blaise narrowed his eyes, ‘none of your business.’

Draco’s eyes rounded, ‘you’re shagging her?’

Blaise was silent a moment, but then he shrugged, ‘we get together sometimes, no big deal. She really is a sweet girl. She wouldn’t poison anyone and she truly loves Harry like a brother, so you can rule her out as the culprit.’

Draco was flabbergasted. This put a new light on Ginny’s reluctance to discuss her increasing interest in potions with Harry. ‘Who all knows about this?’

‘No one,’ Blaise said, his tone hard, ‘and I want to keep it that way. It’s just a shag, but I wouldn’t want it getting around to her overprotective brothers – nor does she. We don’t interact publicly at all.’

‘Good god.’

Blaise’s eyes grew calculating, ‘and I’ll tell you another thing. This ropes me right back into it – and my mother as well. If they find out Ginny has been in our basement mixing up potions, they will connect that right back to us and likely start believing we had something to do with it on account of my mother’s reputation.’

‘True,’ Draco agreed, ‘but that would involve Ginny – I strongly doubt they will conclude that she tried to poison Harry with your or your mother’s help.’ 

‘Maybe, maybe not. They might believe we did it without her knowing, meaning to poison her.’

‘In any case, I don’t see how there would be enough time. I only gave Snape the chocolates yesterday after practice. Was Ginny at your place after that?’

Blaise frowned, ‘yesterday in the afternoon; a bit after practice before we went to the Brickyard with Ron and Harry.’

Draco’s expression brightened, ‘then she couldn’t have gotten them yet. That should leave you and your mum out of it.’ 

Blaise didn’t look mollified, ‘that’s assuming they believe the poisoning happened in our lab. In reality, it could have happened anywhere – anytime.’

The two stood in gloomy silence a few moments, contemplating the entirely depressing situation. 

Draco was first to speak, his expression quizzing, ‘how long have you two been shagging?’ 

Blaise shrugged, ‘I don’t know. What has that got to do with anything?’

‘I’m just putting myself in the Aurors’ shoes; the longer you two have been at it, the more of a motive you might have to want to poison her, at least from their point of view.’ 

Blaise let out a deep sigh, ‘shortly after she started coming by.’

Draco’s eyes grew wide, ‘a couple of months?’ 

‘I guess.’

From Draco’s point of view, things were just growing blacker and blacker. He rubbed his hands down his face. He could only imagine what Harry would have to say if he got wind of any of it.

‘This is way more fucked up than I imagined,’ Draco murmured, rubbing his brow. Let’s get the hell out of here.’

Blaise nodded and followed his friend outside where they encountered a circle of journos that had determined that Harry had been hospitalized. Seeing Draco and Blaise, they rushed forward, but the two young men cried out their goodbyes and in the same instant apparated to their separate homes. 

Draco had a double practice the next day and he needed sleep badly, but it was some time before his brain slowed enough for him to do so. The situation was out of control and he couldn’t help but bemoan the fact that it was he who had facilitated the chaos by giving Snape the damn chocolates in the first place.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should mention that this story takes place after book 6 in the series. That is probably obvious from the characters still present. Any events from book 7 that exist will be mentioned.

The Burrow, with its many guests had fallen to complete silence upon Sirius’ announcement that Draco Malfoy had given the chocolates to Snape. All eyes were trained on the Animagus as those present grappled with the new information and considered whether Malfoy could possibly be the bothersome individual that Snape had referred to when speaking with Ginny.

The Auror interviewing Ginny finally broke the silence, his face somewhat solemn, ‘we will speak to Mr. Malfoy.’ 

The detective, Nicolas, standing behind Ginny, leaned around, trying to capture her eye, but he found himself speaking to her bowed head, ‘Miss. Weasley, will you allow me to submit the box of chocolates Mr. Snape gave you for testing?’

Ginny didn’t look up; she merely nodded in acquiesce. 

The Aurors present seemed to wish to further discuss Draco Malfoy’s involvement; however the detective called the interview to an end. The Ministry had directed the Aurors to give the detective Sirius had hired control in the matter as his prior work for them gave them complete faith in his abilities.

The group broke up and after a time, Remus and Sirius joined Nicolas outside. 

‘Thank you Nicolas,’ Remus said when they were alone.

The detective smiled and started to respond, but Sirius broke in, his tone a bit ragged, ‘Nicolas, I am very concerned about Malfoy’s involvement in this-,’ he began.

‘Don’t worry about it,’ the detective interjected. He toyed with the box of candies he held in his hands and did not meet Sirius’ eyes, ‘I will see to Malfoy tomorrow. I have already arranged to see Mr. Snape in the morning, but I will speak with young Malfoy directly after his Quidditch practice.’

‘But I am worried about it,’ Sirius carried on, his tone aggravated, ‘Malfoy and my godson have some sort of relationship starting up or going on…I don’t know what stage it is in, but Harry is quite attracted to the lad I want to make sure Malfoy isn’t some crazed, burgeoning dark lord before anything more happens between them. His family history …well, it is possible he poisoned those chocolates using methods the Aurors wouldn’t detect.’

The detective nodded lightly and finally met Sirius’ eyes, ‘I will handle it, don’t worry, Sirius. I will determine if there is anything dark or macabre going on with Malfoy and let you know immediately. I promise,’ he said in a quiet, determined tone. 

“We have complete faith in you, you know that,’ Remus said, reaching to give Nicolas a brief hug.

Sirius gave him a hug in turn, ‘we do,’ he agreed, acknowledging that if anyone could get to the bottom of things concerning Malfoy, it would be Nicolas.

The detective gave a small smile, ‘I best go; I have to go to the prison early, I want to meet with Snape and after that I will meet with Mr. Malfoy.’

\--------------

Draco received a firecall from the Department of Aurors informing him that the detective would be visiting him regarding the matter of Harry’s poisoning. He recalled his promise to Harry to try and stay out of the matter, but to his mind, he didn’t see how that was going to be possible.

Draco was seated in his study when the detective was shown into the room by one of his house elves. A model Slytherin, Draco didn’t show any reaction at all when the man entered, although a small surge of surprise moved through him.

The detective was perhaps the most attractive man Draco had ever set his eyes upon. His hair was chestnut colored and the not-quite-curls, not-quite-waves, moved freely about his head, reaching just to his shoulders. His forehead was framed by lively pieces of hair, perfectly straying above a pair of eyes that were nothing short of entrancing. Light brown orbs flecked with amber met his own, exuding a friendliness Draco hadn’t expected.

The detective was taller than himself and his build was lithe and strong, something his robe did not obscure. The man looked more like a cover-boy for Witches Weekly than a detective, but his professional manner spoke to an innate intelligence and seriousness of character that had nothing to do with a playboy.

‘Nicolas Benet,’ the detective said with a slight French accent, reaching out to shake Draco’s hand when he stood.

Draco squinted briefly; the surname was not unfamiliar to him. ‘Draco Malfoy,’ he replied, ‘please be seated.’

Benet smiled as he accepted the offer and once more the Slytherin noted how breathtakingly beautiful the man was. However, in the next moment Benet’s expression intensified and the effect was unsettling. 

After a short silence, Benet began speaking. ‘You received word explaining why I have come?’ Benet asked. 

Draco nodded, attempting not to feel intimidated by the direct gaze of the other man.

‘I was at Azkaban this morning, interviewing Severus Snape regarding the chocolates, so I have obtained most of the information I require with respect to your visits with him. I merely wanted to verify a few details and ask a few additional questions of you.’

‘Certainly,’ Draco replied, trying to imagine how Snape had coped with this particular detective.

Benet’s deep tone was solemn, but not unkind, ‘so Severus Snape requested chocolates from you and you gave him a box, the same box that he ultimately gave to Miss Weasley, is that correct?’

‘From what I have been able to piece together, I believe so. I never actually saw the box of chocolates Ginny Weasley received.’ 

Benet nodded, ‘how did you piece that together?’ 

Draco shifted in his seat a little; the man’s gaze was not only penetrating, but very seductive, drawing him in. ‘I saw the wrapper of the chocolate Harry ate at the bar. It was one of the candies I gave to Snape; they were one-of-a-kind so I knew that it had come from the same box. Harry told me he gotten the chocolate from Ginny.’

‘Ah, so you recall that Harry was eating a chocolate when he began choking. The Aurors told me that you said you were unsure what food had caused him to choke,’ Benet remarked softly.

Draco was suddenly very uncomfortable, but he attempted to hide that fact from the detective. He hadn’t even considered the lie he’d told at the hospital. Not remembering a lie was so out of character for him these days; as a Quidditch player highly sought after by the media, he was far too cunning to not recall them and at least _act _as if his memory had instantly improved if he decided to tell the truth at a later time.__

‘I – I seem to have recalled since I spoke with them I guess,’ Draco said lamely, cursing himself for his lack of concentration…it was just that the man’s eyes…

‘I see,’ Benet responded.

‘I am willing to take veritaserum if you would like,’ Draco offered. He had no intention of lying; he’d already told Harry everything he suspected Benet might ask him.

Benet’s smiled, an engaging smile that Draco couldn’t help notice made his rather entrancing features even more so, ‘that won’t be necessary. I have…certain skills that eliminate the need for any truth serum.’

Draco fidgeted a little; he believed him. It seemed like the detective’s penetrating gaze saw right into his soul.

‘The chocolates were checked by the Azkaban Aurors before you gave them to Snape. I have already verified that,’ Benet continued, ‘and you have been visiting Snape since his incarceration, once a month, is that correct?’

‘More or less, yes.’

‘Snape informed me that he is not interested in having you visit him at all.’

Draco inclined his head, acknowledging the statement. 

Benet’s lips twitched and Draco couldn’t seem to pull his eyes from the small curve of the other man’s full mouth. 

‘Why do you continue to visit Snape if he does not wish it?’ Benet asked lightly.

‘I – I,’ Draco paused and drew his eyes downward, attempting to pull himself together. ‘I owe him my life. He saved both me and my mother from death during the war.’

‘I see; do you begrudge him that? Do you dislike being in debt to the man?’

Draco found it much easier to speak to the detective with his eyes focused on the desk between them, ‘of course not. Whatever he may have ultimately done, he was working strictly for the good side when he saved us. I appreciate it very much.’

‘Perhaps you are _very _grateful?’__

Draco looked up then, his expression quizzing, ‘very grateful? I am quite grateful for what he did.’

The detective nodded, ‘I have gathered that you and Harry Potter are quite good friends.’

The swift change of topic confused the Slytherin a little and he quickly drew his eyes down again, ‘we are friends, yes.’

Benet’s tone was kind, ‘what I mean to say is that when it comes to romance, you have a penchant for those of the same sex.’

Years of experience at retaining a calm exterior prevented Draco from revealing the discomfort he was suddenly feeling. It wasn’t the question so much; there was no shame in his attraction to men. It was just that Draco was still toiling with the issue of his sexuality himself. 

‘I am bisexual if that is what you are asking,’ Draco responded, his eyes still boring into the desk.

‘You haven’t by chance developed feelings for Severus Snape have you?’ the man asked softly.

Draco had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t seen that question coming at all. His face screwed up with disgust, ‘no,’ he replied firmly, meeting Benet’s eyes as he pronounced the word.

The detective conceded the point with a nod, his eyes holding just a hint of amusement. 

Draco dropped his eyes once more.

‘I am aware that your family was deeply interested in the dark arts in the past,’ the detective continued, skipping happily from one horrible topic to the next. 

‘That is common knowledge,’ Draco replied somewhat bitterly.

‘Quite,’ came the quiet response, ‘and prior to your change of heart during the war, you too were quite immersed in the dark arts.’

Draco frowned, ‘a little bit of; there were times when I had to…when I dabbled to some extent.’

‘If memory serves, you were responsible for finding a way to allow Death Eaters into Hogwarts around the time of Dumbledore’s death. I daresay many would consider that a bit more than dabbling.’

‘That was a long time ago,’ Draco said quietly. The topic was still a sour one for him.

‘It is difficult to bury the past,’ Benet remarked musingly. 

‘Impossible it would seem.’ 

Deep, resounding laughter filled Draco’s ears and his head jerked upward. Laughter was the last thing he had expected. 

‘Not impossible,’ Benet said; his tone soothing, ‘merely difficult.’ 

Draco shrugged a little looking away from the man’s emotion filled eyes. However, it was of little use; the longer the man remained, the more his presence seemed to fill the room. Despite looking away, Draco still felt the same pull on his soul that he had felt when meeting the man’s eyes directly. 

Benet spoke softly, ‘I have been around the world as a part of my work and I have come across spells, hexes, and incantations that Aurors have likely never heard of. Dark magic enacted on objects that no test of an Auror would reveal.’

‘Sounds like interesting work,’ Draco mumbled.

Benet’s deep chuckle sent shivers along Draco’s arms, ‘such magic placed on chocolates could easily go uncovered by the Auror tests at Azkaban,’ the detective commented.

A hot flame shot through Draco’s heart, momentarily allowing him to ignore the odd waves filling the room and he stared at Benet directly, ‘I did not poison the chocolates,’ he asserted.

‘I wasn’t accusing you,’ Benet replied quickly, ‘it was merely information I felt should be shared between us.’ 

Draco took a deep breath and then heavily expelled it; his eyes moving away.

‘Your father is also in Azkaban, is he not?’

Draco nodded miserably. 

‘He too was quite adept at the dark arts. I have heard tales of him evoking complex incantations…some of them without a wand.’

‘I wouldn’t know about that. I never knew him capable of doing any such thing.’

‘It would not likely be very difficult to spread poison about a bit of chocolate without a wand, if one knew the proper spell or incantation…’

Something black began swimming through Draco’s heart again, piercing through the clouds that seemed to be muddling his brain. His eyes swept up to meet Benet’s and his tone was filled with rage when he spoke, ‘you seem to know an awful lot about the dark arts. Perhaps I should be asking _you_ the questions.’

Benet’s eyes seemed to pierce through him, but then he smiled and that smile tore away at the small ball of anger that had formed in Draco’s gut, but the anxiety was still present.

‘It is important to know what one is up against when dealing with dark wizards like your father’ Benet remarked.

‘Well if you want to know anything about my father, you should speak to him directly.’

‘Have you?’

‘Have I what?’

‘When was the last time you spoke with your father?’

‘Over six years ago.’

‘You haven’t visited him in Azkaban?’

‘No. He refuses to see me. I am sure the Aurors can verify that for you as well.’

The detective was silent for so long, Draco finally looked up. The amber flecks in the detective’s brown eyes were glistening; they looked almost as if they were lit by a golden flame. There seemed to be a collage of a thousand emotions swimming in their depths, but one of them Draco could easily interpret. It was fierce compassion and it hit him like a ton of bricks. 

Draco felt as if a thousand butterflies were dancing against his stomach and every nerve in his body was standing on end. He felt a mesmerizing yet familiar pull as wave after wave of sensation began endlessly pouring through him, filling his soul and bleeding into his heart. 

It was inviting and he wanted to move closer; walk into the man’s embrace and never let go. His eyes fell upon Benet’s slightly parted lips and his mind spun at the thought of warm breath falling deliciously against his skin. His eyes drifted upward and he met the amber eyes. He wanted to touch each of the emotions gleaming from their depths; so compelling, so understanding, full of unlocked secrets…he knew this feeling…a craving so beautiful, a memory so divine and so… 

The detective slowly blinked and a keen sense of horror abruptly slashed through Draco’s being like a lightening bolt; he jerked his head sideways, pulling his eyes from the man and in the next second he was standing, his wand pointed at the detective’s heart, his hand visibly trembling. Draco’s face had paled tremendously and his eyes were filled with unmitigated fright.

He began backing slowly away from his desk until his back hit the curtained window behind him, a malevolent curse on the tip of his tongue. He would have uttered the curse immediately, but once he’d stood, the overwhelming feelings had faded all at once and the man…the man had closed his eyes. Something didn’t quite fit the picture of doom that had summarily planted itself on his brain and that gave him pause. 

‘Who are you?’ Draco whispered, his voice hoarse and ragged to his own ears.

The detective’s eyes were closed; his long lashes framing cheeks heightened by small patches of color. When Draco spoke, Benet slowly opened his eyes, but did not look at the Slytherin; he focused them on the table before him. 

‘I am not who you think I am,’ he responded.

Draco’s wand remained pointed at the man’s heart and he was still trembling slightly, but the words washed over him like a soothing balm. Although feeling calmer, he was still unnerved.

‘Who do you believe I think you are?’ Draco asked, his tone halting.

‘I am just an ordinary wizard, Mr. Malfoy, you can rest your fears; as I mentioned, I have certain gifts. I come from a long line of similarly gifted wizards, but we are just that…wizards. Please sit down, I mean you know harm. We are nearly finished here.’

Draco looked at the man carefully and it slowly dawned on him that he was speaking the truth. The Slytherin’s breathing was still labored, but his heart rate had begun to recede. He moved slowly back to his chair and sat down, placing his wand on the desk between them. 

The detective’s tone was careful and measured, ‘I understand your reaction; you see, I am aware of the secret you are so desperately trying to hide from the world Mr. Malfoy.’ 

Draco flinched at the words and he gaped at the detective, completely dumbfounded. His heart started racing again and abject fear began forming in his eyes. _He couldn’t know!_

‘I do know,’ the detective stated as if reading his mind, ‘and I sympathize with you; I may even be able to help you.’ Benet grimaced lightly.

Draco was suddenly frightened out of his wits. _The detective knew_. He had no idea how the man knew, but he was absolutely certain that he did.

‘However, right now there is a more pressing issue,’ the detective continued, ‘you should know that Harry’s close relations Sirius Black and Remus Lupin are very dear friends of mine and they care a great deal for Harry Potter. I believe that there is some level of attraction between you and Mr. Potter and I will have to inform them-’

‘No!’ Draco cried vehemently. 

The detective looked up then, his gaze no longer penetrating, but rather full of empathy, ‘they are like brothers to me Mr. Malfoy; I will of course ask them to be discreet, but I will have to inform them.’

‘No,’ he repeated, his tone softened to a pitiful whimper.

‘You have to understand Mr. Malfoy, you are not the only party involved here. I am not sure what your feelings are for Harry, but his godfather indicated that he is rather attracted to you.’

‘Harry doesn’t want…anything serious and…nor do I,’ Draco responded in a barely audible tone, his face awash with misery. 

‘Well the seriousness of the relationship is not at issue; the ongoing attraction between the two of you is. Under those circumstances it is imperative that they be informed of-’

‘I know all about that. I will talk to Harry,’ Draco cut in quickly, ‘I –I will tell Harry myself and there is no need for you to tell anyone else.’

The detective was silent for a long while and when he spoke his voice was gentle, ‘Alright. I am not as well acquainted with Harry as I would like, but I know of his power – he is very clever and of course his past is legendary. However if anything occurs, it is important that you immediately inform his godfather and Remus. As I have said, I might be able to assist you, but it may take some time. We will discuss that later.’

Draco nodded dumbly and closed his eyes; he felt emotionally exhausted. 

The detective cleared his throat after giving Draco a few moments, ‘I’ve just one more question Mr. Malfoy, pertaining to the matter that brought me here.’ 

Draco looked up again, completely disconcerted. He’d nearly forgotten that he was being questioned about his involvement with the poisoned chocolates. That seemed woefully unimportant now. 

The detective smiled kindly and Draco felt a small surge of tranquility pass through him. It left him feeling calmer and somehow able to cope with more questions. He was quite certain the enigmatic man before him was responsible for the magic behind the surge although he didn’t appear to have drawn his wand. 

‘Do you still carry the dark mark?’ the detective asked quietly, his eyes once again focused on the table before him.

‘Yes. Yes, but since Voldemort’s death…it has nearly completely faded and…and I charm the remnants,’ he replied distractedly. 

Benet’s eyes brightened, ‘do you know that there are still those who will not use Voldemort’s name?’

Draco nodded, ‘I have been telling you-’

‘Yes and I believe you,’ the detective interrupted, ‘you are not a dark wizard and you did not poison the chocolates.’

Draco stared at the man, completely speechless.

The detective smiled and then slowly stood, ‘I have taken up enough of your time tonight. I appreciate your taking the time to speak with me.’ 

Draco nodded still unable to find his voice.

‘I will say nothing of the other matter; I give you my word, as long as you keep yours and speak with Mr. Potter. Soon.’

Draco nodded again, a small flicker of fear entering his eyes at the reminder.

‘Have a good evening, Mr. Malfoy, I will see myself out.’

Draco stood at once and began walking toward the door, ‘n-no, I’ll escort you,’ he said gruffly. No matter how traumatic the circumstances, Draco’s manners remained impeccable.

The detective smiled, his handsome face transforming into a thing of exquisite beauty. He nodded at the Slytherin as he allowed himself to be led from the room.  
\--------------

When the front door closed behind the detective Draco sagged against its wooden frame and sighed heavily. He had no idea what he’d just gone through, but it had been much more than simple questioning. 

He’d faced wizard detectives in the past, but he’d not been at all prepared for what had just occurred. The interview itself had been stressful enough, but on top of that, he was left with an acute sense of impending disaster.

Memories and emotions arose to torment his soul and he urgently began pressing them back into the recesses of his mind. He would have to deal with those demons when he explained things to Harry; things he had intended that no one would ever know. 

The detective _was_ gifted; he’d obviously sorted through Draco’s soul and uncovered something he’d thought was deeply buried. He trusted the wizard would keep the knowledge to himself; he was just not so certain if he could trust his feelings of trust. 

The Dragon-Slayer game was at noon the next day and he had planned to retire early, but that was not possible now. He had to see Harry immediately. 

Harry. 

Draco ran a hand down his face. He supposed could simply march up to Harry and declare that their fling was over, but that wouldn’t likely solve anything. Any attraction Harry felt for him would not instantly fade merely because he demanded it. In any case, he wasn’t particularly ready for their fling to be over just yet and he arrogantly and stubbornly refused to allow himself to be intimidated by fear. Those days were long gone.

He was unsure how Harry would react to his revelation, but he doubted the Gryffindor would want to end their fling on account of it. Harry, if nothing else, was one of the bravest, if not the bravest wizard he’d ever met. 

Gathering up his courage and his overcoat from the coat rack, he moved quickly through the door, apparating the moment it closed behind him.

\--------------  
The detective left Draco’s house and headed to the hospital. The doctor in charge called Remus and Sirius from Harry’s room and they met him in the hall. Nicolas assured them that Draco was not a dark wizard in the making and of his innocence in the matter of the chocolates. 

When he finished speaking, Remus regarded him closely. The detective looked tired, completely depleted of energy and something else besides. ‘Are you okay, Nicolas?’ he inquired, his tone softened, ‘you seem changed since we saw you yesterday.’

‘I’m well.’ Nicolas replied, unable to stop a small sigh from escaping. 

‘You look a little…’ Remus searched for the word he wanted.

Nicolas met his eyes, ‘I – the truth is…I’ve met someone.’

Remus’ eyes widened a little and Sirius’ brows moved upward.

‘You didn’t tell us,’ Sirius said, stating the obvious.

Remus furrowed his brow a little.

‘He is a Quidditch player – Lucian – he has traveled with me.’

‘Why didn’t you bring him to lunch yesterday?’

‘I – I don’t know. It is the first time I have been or stayed with anyone since…’ Nicolas broke off and his eyes found the ground, ‘…but it isn’t that. From the moment we arrived, I have felt _him_ strongly again…like he is nearby.’

They didn’t have to ask whom he was feeling strongly again. He wasn’t referring to Lucian his new friend; he referred to the love of his life. They both knew that he hadn’t been with anyone since he lost his love several years before; a love that was never far from his thoughts and still ruled his heart. Love was not easy for the detective.

Nicolas was unique; many moons before, vampire blood had infiltrated his family line. The blood in his veins ran at a heightened pace when he willed it or when he was in the throes of emotion, producing an ancient blood magic that he could control at will, unless his passions were heavily in play. In the heat of passion, it was at times, uncontrollable. 

He discovered early on that his romantic partners simply could not handle it. He literally took their breath away with a mere kiss and lovemaking could completely do them in. He had to rein in his emotions or risk suffocating them. It had been a lifetime struggle until he met Sebastian - Asti as he’d always called him - his lost love, the only one who’d ever been able to handle it – handle him.

Now the tables had turned; now he suffocated in the mere presence of his love. The Asti he knew was gone; lost to the vampires in what was nothing less than a demented comedy of errors. 

The Vampires had long thirsted for Nicolas to join them; their blood ran in his veins and even as a lesser human it was clear that he was extraordinary. It was their belief that he was born to be their guide. 

Vampires did not have leaders per se, but they had chosen ones that interacted with humans on their behalf to ensure continuation of their kind. Years of attacks against them had forced the interaction, which they still abhorred. They were hard to kill, but kills were possible and devastating to the entire sect. 

Their previous guide had been killed during the wars by Death Eaters using intensive dark magic. He’d not been replaced yet, and ever since, the vampires had chased Nicolas to join them and have the role. 

In the face of his consistent refusal, they’d taken that which he loved most. Killing the beloved of one they desired to join them was a normal practice among vampires. It usually resulted in making it easier for the prospect to join them. In the case of Nicolas, they hoped killing his love would gain them a leader. However, that had not been the case. He had not joined them and his life had become a living hell.

It was sometime after they took Asti that Nicolas discovered they hadn’t killed him. Asti was special and they immediately realized it. Instead, they’d made him one of them. 

For Nicolas, the situation had been intolerable; Asti’s visits as a vampire were rare and when he appeared it was overwhelming. Asti wanted him to join them, but Nicolas had rebelled against it his entire life, wanting to fulfill his destiny as a human and he continued to try and maintain that stance. However, with his soul mate among them, his lifelong resolution had begun to waiver and he was caught in a web of indecision.

Nicolas’ feelings for his love had not faded, despite the fact that on the rare occasions Asti appeared he stared at him in a kindly manner, almost statuesque. The look of adoration they shared in the past was gone from his eyes. Nicolas was aware that Asti’s idea of love had changed drastically upon becoming a vampire. Ideas like attachment and fidelity were alien to the vampire mind. The sharing of passion was as traditional as survival by the taking of blood. 

The idea of sharing Asti in that world was abhorrent to him; he could not imagine it, although it was a natural part of the change from human to vampire. Nicolas was almost certain he’d be better off with his memories of the man he loved, loving him, rather than exist with him in a world of lascivious passion and hunger, where no single being was considered most precious to another. On the other hand, he had acknowledged that he was no better off in the human world without Asti, where outside of his work he lived a life of abject misery. 

Remus and Sirius were aware of Nicolas’ quandary and neither believed that he would ever find real happiness with a living soul, even if it sounded like he would neither find it as a vampire. They listened with wary ears as he explained his new relationship.

He told them how a short while before he had met a French Quidditch player, Lucian, a delightful and fun individual with a brilliant sense of humor. Wanting desperately to free himself of his despair, he allowed himself to become friendly with the player. Soon after, they became lovers with Nicolas hoping it would at last grant him perspective, clarity and some happiness. 

It was nothing like being with Asti; Nicolas spent most of their time together reigning in his emotions, but they were growing closer and it was refreshing doing something akin to living again.

It was clear to Remus, who knew him best, that Nicolas was not any happier. He considered that it might be because the detective was feeling Asti so keenly, but deep down he felt it was because Lucian – well nobody – could replace the love of his life.

Nicolas was speaking again. ‘Since arriving, I have felt Asti so strongly – I don’t understand. If he is here, why doesn’t he show himself?’

‘Do you want him to?’ Remus asked, his brow still furrowed.

‘I don’t know’ he said, still looking down ‘…yes,’ he finished honestly.

A memory danced on the edges of Remus’ mind. ‘What does Asti look like? You’ve never said.’

Instead of answering, Nicolas opened his robe and unzipped an inside pocket. The pocket was badly frayed, although the robe itself looked almost new and was of the finest materials. Nonetheless, Nicolas managed to draw the picture from it without trouble. 

When Sirius and Remus saw the photograph they gasped in unison. While it depicted an attractive human, it was clear that the man in the photo was the vampire they had seen under the full moon.

Nicolas looked up sharply at their surprise.

‘We saw him!’ Remus proclaimed.

‘Here?’

‘Yes. He was out the night of the full moon. He stood staring at us in animal form. We thought it odd.’

‘He knows of you,’ Nicolas said softly, ‘we spoke about it.’

‘He was very curious; just watching us,’ Sirius commented.

Nicolas nodded, ‘I knew he was here.’

‘You’re here,’ Remus said softly. The realization that Nicolas carried the old picture about with him, unable to let go of that memory, spoke a thousand words.

Nicolas sighed again, ‘well I cannot…that is…he will appear to me if he wishes. It is never up to me. In any case, it is likely for the best if we do not see one another now. 

Remus and Sirius nodded. It was not a topic on which they were able to give counsel. 

Nicolas stood a bit taller, seemingly picking up his courage at the same time, ‘I’ve got to go, but I will speak to you again soon.’

Remus’ eyes held deep sympathy and his tone was full of compassion, ‘thank you for helping us.’ He reached and pulled his friend into a hug. 

The detective smiled, ‘My pleasure. You know I would do anything for the two of you.’

‘Nicolas,’ Sirius said when Remus released him, giving him a brief hug of his own. 

The detective gave them a warm smile before departing.

\----------

When Draco arrived at the hospital he found it strangely quiet. At least it was strange to him. There seemed to be no one around on the floor Harry was on except a single nurse at the station.

Draco walked to Harry’s room without interference; something else he found slightly odd, and knocked on the door.

The moment he knocked however, he felt the surge of a strong ward about the door. That made him feel better for some reason; it was more along the lines of what he expected. 

A nearby door opened and a healer came bursting into the hallway moving to stand beside Draco.

‘Malfoy is it?’ the healer asked.

‘Yes, Draco Malfoy.’

The healer nodded and pointed his wand at Harry’s door. A surge of magic was followed by a soft clicking sound and the healer then pulled open the door and stuck his head in.

‘Mr. Malfoy to see you,’ the healer said.

‘Send him in.’

Harry’s voice. Draco hoped he was alone. He moved into the room when the healer stepped back and opened the door for him. He felt the wards go up again once he was inside.

Harry’s face lit up quite dramatically upon seeing Draco. He lifted his wand to turn off the show he’d been viewing on the magical screen. ‘Well this is unexpected,’ he remarked.

Draco nodded, unable to equal Harry’s carefree happiness, ‘how are you?’

Harry’s smile waned slightly, ‘fine, although sick of being here. I’ll probably have to stay another day or two as well.’ 

‘Well that isn’t too bad,’ Draco said distractedly.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin, ‘what’s wrong?’

Draco’s head jerked upward, ‘nothing.’ He looked around then, ‘everyone has left you for the night?’

‘Well I’ve had visitors all day; the Weasleys, Ron, Blaise, Michael, other teammates and, well it seems like everyone I know wanted to drop by and ensure themselves I wasn’t dying. And of course there was the press, but the hospital has been good about keeping them at bay.’ 

The last wrenched a small smile from Draco. If one thing hadn’t changed in the wizard world, it was the zealousness of wizard reporters.

‘Sirius and Remus were here a moment ago,’ Harry continued, ‘but the detective came and asked to speak to them, so they went out for a bit. They will return after passing by the pit to get some clothes and other stuff I requested from home.’

Draco felt a wave of nerves pass through his body, but quickly reassured himself that he trusted the detective not to break his promise and reveal anything to Harry’s godfather and Remus Lupin. 

Draco took a deep breath, ‘well if you are tired, I can come back tomorrow,’ he said, his voice a little uncertain.

‘Sit down,’ Harry directed, smiling.

Draco removed his overcoat and sat in one of the chairs near Harry’s bed, resting his coat on another chair.

‘You look more like your old self. Draco remarked.

‘A lot of the poison has been leeched by magic, but unfortunately some of it is still chasing around in my system, so this is home for another day or two.’ 

‘Nasty stuff,’ Draco commiserated.

Harry nodded, ‘that reminds me; you never said why you gave those chocolates to Snape? Do you normally take him gifts?’

Draco gave a brief wan smile, ‘Never. He asked if I would bring him a box. I thought it weird at the time because he hates chocolates. I asked him about that, but he wouldn’t say why he wanted them. I got to thinking it might have something to do with an escape plan – bribery or something. It never crossed my mind that he might use them to poison someone.’

Harry nodded noting that Draco still looked uncomfortable. 

‘You seem a little…troubled,’ Harry’s tone held concern, ‘everything alright?’

Draco smiled weakly, ‘yes, I’m fine…that is, I…I just finished having an interview with the detective your godfather hired.’

Harry’s face relaxed and his eyes filled with understanding, ‘Nicolas. He can come across rather…heavy at times. He is a French Warlock; he is from a well respected and noble family and according to Remus, vampire blood runs through his veins-’ 

Harry paused noting that Draco’s expression had become slightly horrified and he quickly began speaking again, his tone soothing. ‘The Benet family is an ancient line; his forefathers have been greatly respected for hundreds of years for the unique gifts their bloodline affords them as wizards. Things have always been looked at slightly differently in France with regard to bloodlines.’

Draco’s eyes widened slightly, ‘Benet. I remember him saying that now. I know his family line. Draco frowned, ‘they have always been held in high regard here as well, but I hadn’t realized that…I didn’t know about their lineage.’

Harry nodded, ‘well it could be that the family didn’t advertise their lineage here in England considering how prejudice everyone was before the war,’ Harry frowned a little at Draco, ‘and perhaps some still are.’ 

Draco quickly met Harry’s eyes, ‘I didn’t mean to imply…that is, bloodlines don’t matter to me anymore. I was just surprised, that’s all.’

Harry grinned, ‘I recall your telling me that at the end of the war, but your reaction made me think maybe you had reconsidered…’

‘Not at all,’ Draco responded firmly.

Harry nodded, ‘well I only spoke about his lineage to explain a bit about his gifts; he can apparently be very persuasive when he wants to be. I suppose it is a good thing considering his chosen profession, but I imagine it can make for a rather trying interview. His presence can be overwhelming’

Draco nodded slowly in agreement, ‘where did Sirius meet that man?’

‘Actually Remus met him…it was during the time when Sirius returned to us.’ 

‘Oh,’ Draco remarked; he wouldn’t put it past the man’s abilities to resurrect someone from the dead. However, the details of Sirius’ return from the veil were a mystery to Draco, as they were to most of the wizard world and Harry didn’t seem inclined to reveal more. Draco didn’t press the matter. That was the least of his worries at the moment. 

‘Nicolas does wizard detective work for Ministries all over the world,’ Harry continued, ‘he is well respected everywhere. He just completed work for our Ministry and they have approved Sirius’ decision to hire him to look into the poisoned chocolate ordeal; I guess they’ve got their noses in it because I am involved.’

Draco nodded and then dropped his eyes from the Gryffindor and contemplated his lap; it wasn’t very often he found himself tongue-tied, but he was at the moment. He had to tell Harry; there was no way out of that now, but he dreaded sharing the information.

‘What is it, Draco?’ Harry pressed lightly, ‘did something happen at the interview?’

Draco met his eyes again and Harry noted that they seemed deeply troubled. He also noted that a few small beads of moisture had broken out along the Slytherin’s forehead and his own eyes began to reflect worry. This was not the same self-assured Draco that he’d come to know since the war.

‘I have to tell you something, Harry,’ Draco responded in an uncharacteristically soft and quiet tone.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry sat atop his blanket on the bed, a small frown playing about his features as he waited for Draco to speak. 

When Draco said he’d something to tell Harry in his uncharacteristically solemn tone, the Gryffindor was certain that it had something to do with the Slytherin’s earlier interview and that worried him a bit. He prayed Draco was not more involved in the whole poisonous chocolates business than he’d indicated in their previous conversation.

Draco’s opening remark didn’t make him feel any better, ‘look Harry, what I am going to tell you is between you and me; if it gets out…well it can’t get out, so you cannot tell anyone. And I mean _anyone_ , alright?’

Harry nodded, his frown increasing as he watched Draco wipe a bit of moisture from his forehead. 

However, Draco’s next words took Harry completely by surprise. 

‘Several years ago I was bitten by a vampire,’ the Slytherin stated, his tone a little anxious. 

‘A vampire?’ Harry questioned, his tone lilting with a bit of incredulity. That was possibly the last thing he had expected to hear. 

Draco nodded curtly, before continuing, ‘I was in Wales visiting a friend who was leaving the country and we’d done a bit of drinking before he departed. I was pretty tight by the time I left him and began walking back to the rooms where I was staying. It was late and one moment I was staring at the road ahead of me and the next I was staring at a bloke.’

Harry cocked a brow, ‘the vampire?’ 

‘Right,’ Draco concurred, his hands moving about as he spoke, ‘but he just looked like an ordinary bloke; I was pretty plastered and it was dark so I didn’t notice anything distinctive about him at the time. He said something that I didn’t catch and I remember looking at him questioningly and waiting for him to repeat what he’d said, but he just stared at me.’

Didn’t you find that strange? I mean even plastered-’

‘I didn’t have time to find it strange or anything else, the next thing I knew I started to feel extremely lightheaded and the bloke grabbed a hold of me. I thought it might be the alcohol and that he was steadying me. But then I noticed I couldn’t seem to pull my eyes from his and I began to feel a strange and unnatural pull; like my soul was being sucked from my body or something.’

Draco paused and sat back in his chair. Harry remained silent; somewhat bemused. Quite a number of people had been bitten by vampires during the war without suffering any real consequence and there were means to protect them from further contact. Perhaps, he thought, Draco was unaware of that fact.

The Slytherin cut into his thoughts, ‘I became frightened by what was happening to me,’ he continued, ‘that was when I noticed how pale he was and while attractive, his eyes had gone dark…completely black. That is when I realized what I was up against.’

‘Did you attempt to get away?’

Draco shook his head, ‘just before they bite you, they send waves of power at you. It is compelling and mesmerizing; you just want to let them do to you whatever they want. I remember wanting him to bite me because I knew he wanted to do it. The pain…well you feel it, but it is almost pleasurable. It…it’s difficult to explain…’

‘I know what you’re referring to,’ Harry said, ‘I spoke with several people who were bitten during the war.’

Draco nodded, ‘well afterward I think I passed out for a while because the next thing I recall, we were sitting on the ground in an alley and he was speaking to me. I was groggy, but I recall him saying that I was his and that he would return for me when the time was right, unless if another sought me before then.’ 

‘Classic vampire stuff,’ opined Harry.

Draco narrowed his eyes a bit, ‘yes, but it was odd; he spoke in a completely everyday tone of voice; it wasn’t at all menacing. He babbled for a good while, but I was still pretty out of it and I don’t recall what else he said.’

‘You were probably a bit short on blood at that point; they generally take enough to leave you feeling faint. What happened then?’

‘He left and I just sat there for Merlin knows how long, leaning against the alley wall. Eventually I got up and managed to stumble back to my rooms where I promptly passed out again.’

Harry frowned, ‘but he only bit you the one time and it is obvious that you aren’t-’

‘A vampire? No. As you said, I was only bitten once and according to all of the lore a vampire must drink twice and even then, he has to want to bring you into their world.’ 

‘Yes, that’s what I was told as well.’

Draco inclined his head in agreement, ‘the thing is, I read lore from a variety of books, old and new, and all of them contradicted one another. However, most agreed that a vampire will take the second drink at his leisure; that is, it could be days or even years before they attempt it.’

Harry nodded slowly.

‘And the other thing most of them agreed on,’ Draco continued, ‘was that if someone becomes attracted in an ongoing fashion to the person who was bitten, it might trigger the return of the vampire to claim their subject.’ 

Harry elevated his brows.

‘And it is said that…they kill the competition – the person attracted to the subject.’ 

‘Sweet,’ commented Harry.

Draco met Harry’s eyes for a moment before looking away again, ‘yes, well I pretty much considered all of that hogwash; there have been several people attracted to me since I was bitten and nothing has happened…I didn’t feel it worth mentioning to them because their attraction wasn’t particularly ongoing.’ 

Harry grinned, ‘and mine is?’ he supplied.

Draco flipped his hand out in a noncommittal gesture, ‘your detective friend seemed to think so. He somehow figured it out…about me being bitten I mean. He started demanding that your godfather be told because of the possible danger to you, I presume, and I became anxious because the last thing I need is for people to find out about my being bitten. It was bad enough the detective knowing about it.’ 

‘Nicolas is gifted, as I told you.’

‘Yes I know, he told me as well, but at the time I didn’t realize what gifts he was talking about. I mean at one point during our interview I thought I was facing a vampire…I swear I felt the same attraction…the same pull from the man as I had from the bloke in Wales. Then I began remembering what the bloke had said…all that business about returning…and well in that moment I started thinking it might not be hogwash after all and I became frightened, that the detective was a vampire returning.’

‘That is the effect of his having the vampire blood running through his veins, ‘Harry said softly, ‘I know that has something to do with his gifts. I’d imagine he carries out all of his interviews the same way and maybe people who have been bitten react as you did. I imagine that could be pretty terrifying.’

Draco nodded, ‘so you have said – about the vampire blood I mean. When you first mentioned it, I was back to wondering if he is a vampire, but if he’s not-’

‘He’s not.’

‘Then I suppose you are right. He did say he knew why I’d reacted as I had, so I guess he determined I’d been bitten based on my reaction.’ The Slytherin fell silent for a few moments and then sighed, ‘still, his worrying about your being attacked made me consider that there might be some truth to that part of the lore.’ 

Harry ran a hand through his unruly locks, ‘it is true if Nicolas says it is; he knows all about vampires.’ He narrowed his eyes a bit, ‘you seem very anxious about it all now, but you never seemed very worried about it before.’ 

Draco shook his head, ‘it all happened so long ago and seemed so surreal, but after the meeting with the detective it all got pretty real again.’ 

Vampires are difficult to contain,’ Harry mused, ‘but I know exactly how to cope with them, Draco and I will show you. I had to deal with a number of them during the war. You don’t have to fear one returning.’

Draco met Harry’s eyes, regarding him speculatively before slowly nodding in acceptance of the offer, but then his frown slowly returned. ‘To be honest, that is not the bit that is worrying me.’

Harry grinned, ‘well as for the other thing; I am attracted to you, but I can handle any attacks and I’ll watch out for them now that I am aware it may happen.’

A humorless gust of mirth fell from Draco’s lips and he shook his head, ‘I wasn’t really very worried about your being able to handle them – I kind of figured you would be able to. In some ways you haven’t changed at all.’

‘Whatever that means,’ Harry said with a little heat in his tone, uncertain if the Slytherin was having a go at him or not. 

When Draco didn’t respond, the Gryffindor continued, ‘the vampires are a very secretive lot that don’t really want much to do with us. I recall a group was trying to help them meld with society and gain acceptance, but their efforts failed because the vampires didn’t want any help, nor to be a part of our world. But I don’t fear them.’

Draco smiled, ‘I know you don’t fear them.’

Harry’s brow creased, ‘so what aspect of all of this _is_ bothering you? You seem anxious…you were perspiring…’

Draco’s arrogance seemed to swell at the notion that he might do anything so vulgar as sweat, but a moment later the worried frown reappeared on his brow, ‘to my knowledge, you and the detective are the only two people that know I’ve been bitten and it is imperative that it stay that way.’ 

‘Why is that? Many people were bitten during the war and there is no stigma attached to it that I know of.’

A bit of fear entered Draco’s eyes, ‘It’s not that; if it gets around that I’ve been bitten…well…it has to do with the Malfoy fortune.’

‘With money?’ Harry’s tone was incredulous.

‘Not just money,’ Draco retorted arrogantly, of a sudden sounding a lot more like his old self, ‘the Malfoy family legacy. It is a hell of a lot of money; it has been amassing for decades and I am in control of it. However, that can change if my family finds out I have been bitten; they can use that knowledge to have me declared unfit to control the fortune.’

‘Why? You are not a vampire.’

‘True, but my being bitten and in danger of becoming a vampire is enough.’ 

‘How would they do that? I mean who would decide whether you are fit or not?’

‘The Malfoy family legacy itself decides. The fortune, though passed from father to son, has always come with a codicil; if the current family member controlling the fortune is deemed unfit, any family member may enact magic that will cause the Gringotts accounts and all of the holdings to be turned over to a new family member.’ 

‘It is turned over to the member who enacts the magic?’

‘No. The selection of the new member is a part of the magic itself. The incantation will only function under specific circumstances that were decided long ago by the founder of the legacy. Among the things that trigger the magic are things you’d expect like lunacy and falling fatally ill, but also being bitten by a magical creature with the potential to turn is on the list.’

‘Well it isn’t like you need the money; you make a hell of a lot.’ 

Draco scowled a little, ‘you don’t understand. Since the fortune fell under my control after the war, I have made a lot of changes. The money was invested in…well rather less than noble causes. But now all of the investments are reputable and I can tell you, there are a number of family members that are none too happy about it.’ 

‘I see.’

‘Right, I have no intention of allowing the money to be used for dark purposes any longer. Voldemort is gone, but there have always been, and will always be dark forces and they require financial support, but it won’t be with the assistance of the legacy during my lifetime if I can help it.’

Harry looked a little sheepish, and dropped his eyes, ‘but…well isn’t supporting causes that work against the dark arts on the list of things that might trigger the magic? I mean your family history-’ he broke off, not wanting to further disparage Draco’s family aloud.

Draco sighed, ‘yes it is, unfortunately. I haven’t channeled funds into anything that works against the dark arts directly. I’ve merely put funds to things like investigating magic and finding cures for ailments, nothing dark in nature.’

Harry nodded with understanding, ‘well I won’t say anything to anyone and,’ Harry’s eyes suddenly flashed to meet Draco’s, ‘did Nicolas say he was going to tell my godfather?’ 

‘No, he promised he would keep it to himself so long as I told you.’

‘Well then you needn’t be concerned. I will talk to Nicolas; he likely only wanted to warn Sirius and Remus because he wanted me to be aware of a possible attack. I am sure he knows that I can deal with vampire s, but it is always good to be prepared.’ 

Draco nodded, still looking a bit stressed. 

‘Don’t worry, we won’t let the Malfoy fortune get into the hands of your scheming relatives,’ Harry said lightly.

Draco looked up shaking his head a bit, ‘we? Just like that, you take on other people’s problems – Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays after 8pm?’

‘Comes with the title of hero,’ Harry responded, amusement in his tone.

‘I guess if we both get bitten to death it won’t much matter,’ Draco grumbled half under his breath.

Harry laughed, ‘we’ll deal with them easily enough, don’t worry.’

Draco sighed, but he didn’t respond. 

After a few long moments of silence, Harry called out softly, ‘Draco.’

The Slytherin lifted his eyes quickly to meet the emerald green orbs.

‘Come ‘ere,’ Harry patted the bed beside him.

Draco quirked an eyebrow, but then slowly stood and made his way to the bed, sitting beside, but a little in front of Harry.

Harry began regarding Draco’s neck, ‘where were you bitten?’

Draco sat up a little straighter, his posture rather haughty, ‘on the neck.’

Harry chuckled lightly, ‘I imagined. Where? I don’t see any mark…has it healed?’

Draco sighed, ‘it has scarred over.’

‘I don’t see any scar,’ Harry said looking more closely.

‘That is another thing about you that hasn’t changed, Potter.’ 

‘Umm?’ Harry asked vaguely, still regarding the Slytherin’s pale skin.

‘You are a nosey git.’

Harry sat back a little and began laughing, ‘temper, temper,’ he sputtered.

Draco reached up to touch the side of his neck near the base, ‘it is here, but you can’t see it because I have charmed it.’

Harry chuckled again, ‘I should have guessed; you are still a vain little wanker.’

Draco smiled smugly, ‘it isn’t vanity Potts; I’m just that damn good looking. Occasionally I’m walking along and I’ll see a very attractive bloke and get the hots for him. Then I realize I am staring at my own reflection.’ 

Harry burst out laughing and a moment later Draco joined him with a soft laugh.

When their laughter died down Draco continued, ‘actually if you used your brain material for once it might occur to you that the mark would be a dead giveaway if anyone saw it. I can’t have this getting out, as I told you.’ His face grew somber and his eyes dropped to the bed, ‘this is very important to me, Harry, my family did a lot of bad things and I hope that my redistribution of what the legacy funds redresses that a little.’

Harry nodded and after a few moments he sighed a little, ‘you know, I hate being here in the hospital; I feel absolutely fine.’ 

Draco glanced up swiftly at the abrupt change of topic, ‘well you have to stay until the poison is totally gone from your system I guess.’

Harry nodded, ‘I do, but it’s rather miserable.’

‘Not for much longer though.’

‘I was thinking,’ Harry said his tone dropping significantly in cadence, ‘that you might help me get rid of a bit of the misery.’

Draco grinned and shook his head; the reason for the topic change now evident. ‘You are amazing. I tell you all of this and now you want to snog?’

‘What should we do? Fucking sit here biting our nails in fear until your vampire friend shows up?’ Harry’s no-nonsense tone had returned. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it tonight.’

Draco laughed his eyes half closed, ‘I can’t believe that at one time I thought getting you into my bed would prove somewhat difficult.’ 

‘I’m easy.’

‘You’re barmy.’

‘Completely barmy,’ Harry murmured, pressing two fingers to the Slytherin’s cheek and moving them slowly along his jaw.

The soft stroking about his face was comforting. Draco felt the tension he’d been feeling start to ease from his body and he tilted his face into the fingers a little.

‘And you know what else I think?’ Harry said huskily.

‘What?’

‘I think,’ Harry said, allowing his finger to trace Draco’s lips, ‘that you are a bit more attracted to me than you are letting on.’

Draco’s lips curved upward, ‘maybe you are confusing us?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Harry said gruffly. 

Harry’s hand had drifted to his neck and was softly massaging. Draco sighed a little.

Harry’s lips curved into a small smile, ‘I like this,’ he said softly.

‘Well it is all new for you,’ Draco responded, his tone rueful.

‘Yes, but I am still enjoying it.’ 

‘Umm.’

‘Your indifference is lovely.’ Harry said softly, sarcasm swimming through his tone.

‘I didn’t say…I was indifferent,’ Draco murmured.

‘You haven’t said anything.’ 

Silence ensued.

Harry moved his hands to Draco’s shoulders and began kneading the muscles and loosening the knots beneath them. 

‘What are you doing?’ Draco asked.

‘Trying to massage some words out of you.’

Draco gave a gasp of laughter, ‘the sex is great.’

‘Yes, it is.’

‘Well I have never said it wasn’t, ooh-’ Draco broke off as Harry rubbed a particularly tight spot. ‘However, you seem to be talking about other things…beyond sex.’ He closed his eyes and twisted his head against the strong hands working his muscles.

‘What is beyond sex?’

‘What do you think?’ Draco whispered, totally enveloped in the massage.

‘More sex?’ Harry asked, his tone gruff and full of innuendo as he pulled at Draco’s shoulder. 

The Slytherin chuckled as he edged around to accept Harry’s approaching lips and the sound was lost against them. Harry deepened the kiss and he tasted the flavor of the Gryffindor’s tongue; it was slightly sweet as if he’d been eating candy. That scent was again filling his nostrils, a scent that was all Harry. Warm hands were cupping his face and he began feeling a pull on his soul for the second time that evening.

Only this pull was gentle, seeking permission without words and he made assurances with surrender, turning his body completely toward Harry and losing himself in the wet, seductive hotness that was costing his control and his ability to rationalize exactly why this was a bad idea. 

Harry groaned, pressing forward, his hands dropping from cheeks to shoulders, directing their kiss, leaving Draco gasping at the air they were sharing.

Draco reached out and ran his fingers along Harry’s arms and felt the Gryffindor shiver lightly under his touch. Regaining a little control pleased him; Harry made it all too easy. He wanted more. His hands moved down to grapple with Harry’s shirt, jerking it upward until his fingers gained access to the smooth skin beneath. 

Harry moaned into Draco’s mouth and the shiver returned at the touch. The Slytherin smiled into their kiss.

Harry arched against the warm hands moving over his tummy and caressing their way to his back, causing small prickles of heat to leach along his sensitive skin. The hungry desire to devour that crawled through him whenever this particular creature was near had returned. His hands, still gripping the Slytherin’s shoulders, tightened and he began leaning backward, pulling them downward.

Draco resisted and edged his lips away, ‘your godfather,’ he murmured into Harry’s cheek.

‘I’ve no desire to kiss him,’ Harry whispered attempting to pull Draco down again.

‘They are returning you said,’ Draco managed.

Harry relented and paused, reaching out for his wand to cast a spell, ‘no one can come in, until I say they can.’ 

‘I’ve got a game tomorrow…’ Draco mumbled as he gave in to Harry’s gentle renewed tugging and found himself lying half on top of the Gryffindor, their bodies gyrating together and their mouths meeting once again in a heated kiss.

Draco’d run out of excuses. This was too alluring; he was being sucked into something dark and delectable, brutal like a beast…and yet with a persistent softness about the edges Harry seemed to unconsciously exude. He’d never felt sensations quite like this and he felt himself reluctantly tumbling along the contours of their silky rhythm. It was as if strong winds were driving him headlong into a beautiful disaster, but he didn’t stop it, couldn’t stop it.

The Slytherin shifted his body so his hand could slide downward between them, wandering with fevered abandon about Harry’s loose pajama bottoms and uncovering the hardness it sought.

Harry gasped when Draco’s hand closed over the thin hospital pants and lowered his eyes to watch as Draco took hold of him. The Slytherin used his free hand to grip the Gryffindor’s unruly locks with heat and Harry’s gasp turned into a prolonged moan. 

Harry had envisioned a shared experience, but he soon found himself incapable of doing anything but writhing beneath the ministrations of Draco’s hand and mouth. He didn’t normally do submissive, but Draco’s hand was running with increasing speed up and down his shaft and his tongue was confusing matters discovering every part of his mouth. His exploration led to Harry’s lips, which he began nibbling and then softly biting, eliciting continuous groans from the Gryffindor. 

The grip on his hair and the attack on his lips grew painfully delicious, augmenting what Draco was doing with his skillful hand. Harry arched into it, writhing as the dark pleasure took over his body. The breathy sounds emanating from his throat evidenced his enjoyment, as did the grip his hand had on the Slytherin’s body.

Draco sunk his teeth deeper into Harry’s already traumatized lip and the Gryffindor was unable to stop the desperate sounds falling from his mouth. The world was mounting about him, closing around him…too soon, but there no stopping the exploding jettison inside. He reared upward further still, wailing as orgasm hit, sensations of pleasure and pain slamming through his body. 

He didn’t feel Draco’s teeth or hand ease away, he didn’t feel anything at all as he lay panting, trying to recapture reality.

Was that a kiss? It felt like a kiss or maybe kisses on his tortured lip, but Harry couldn’t be certain; his eyes were closed, his mind gallivanting along its own path, his lips numb. His eyes blinked slowly to half-mast and he found a pair of grey eyes, intensely staring back at him, filled with lust, ready to devour him whole.

Harry’s wide grin came hesitantly; he hadn’t been ready for this. Draco was squeezing at his shoulder, directing him to scoot sideways. The Gryffindor began to understand why Draco had called him a kitten, but then again, Draco was just so…extra. He felt heavy as stone, the thought of moving abhorrent. Instead he pressed at the Slytherin’s arm being used to support his weight and watched as he fell to the bed, half atop, half beside him. 

Draco didn’t seem to mind the redirection. He immediately attacked, but Harry staved him off with a hand. He reached for tissue beside the bed to clean himself, all the while holding the hungry lion at bay. He tossed the tissue to the floor and then slowly turned to stare into greedy grey eyes. He felt an inexplicable resurgence of strength. 

‘Your turn,’ he whispered.

The light emanating from Draco’s eyes conveyed visions of what was to come. A button, a zipper and a bit of elastic were minor obstructions to be conquered and within seconds Harry had freed Draco from his pants. He grinned at the throaty sigh that emanated when he made contact and a dark little light began shinning from his own eyes.

Harry was a quick learner. 

He attacked Draco’s ear, sucking the lobe in time with his hand, which was moving quite skillfully if the Slytherin’s reaction was anything to go by. He slid his free arm over Draco’s back, pressing beneath the shoulder blade and began pulling at the soft ear with his teeth. His action elicited a few mumbled words, none of which Harry understood. He increased the intensity of his bite and the rhythm of his hand and this time he caught the ‘shit, Harry’ that floated through the air. 

Harry softened his bite, whispering into the lobe, ‘you want me to stop?’

The rush of words in response sounded like ‘no’ to his ears, so he resumed his nibbles, viewing the Slytherin’s body contort from the corner of his eye. 

Draco’s hips vaulted upward to meet the hand causing him so much agony and found himself mimicking Harry’s earlier panting as the deft hand met his need with renewed vigor. 

‘Fuck…’ 

‘You’re so fucking hard’ Harry breathed, his tone wicked despite its softness, ‘cum for me,’ he added wantonly.

Draco was seeing clouds; Harry was biting again, harder now and he was drinking in sensations faster than he could register. He wanted to tell him how agonizingly delicious it all felt, but his words devolved into a moan. Panting heavily, Draco began thrusting against the hand with a crazy abandon that was completely out of character. Harry’s bite on his lobe was fierce, the motion of his hand relentless, the pressure on the soft of his back infuriatingly gentle, the contrast too sweet. 

Harry enjoyed feeling Draco fall apart under the acute attentions of his teeth and hands. He listened to the not-so-very-attracted-to-him Slytherin gasp his name against his skin, his tone wildly decadent and Harry’s eyes lit with fire. 

Draco was barely conscious he’d spoken; his hand found Harry’s thigh, gripping it tightly as he arched through a moan, his face twisting with bliss as climax hit. The Slytherin was panting through his tortured explosion, seeing stars, when the Gryffindor’s hand wound its way into his hair, gripping brutally and Draco crested violently amidst the waves pouring through him. Harry let go his ear and captured his mouth; his gasps lost on hot dancing tongues as he rode out his passion. 

The creak of the hospital bed controlled the ambiance, soft but merciless, yet the lovers were as oblivious to it as they were to the silence that followed. They lay in the decadent aftermath nursing bruised lips and ear to the sound of thickened breathing, the type educed by the satiation of peaked lust. 

After many moments, Harry slowly leaned around and planted a small kiss on Draco’s chin, ‘much less miserable here now,’ he slurred softly, falling back onto the bed. 

Draco met his eyes, the look in the grey orbs unfathomable, but Harry’s were much more expressive. The emotion he was feeling was pouring from them. 

Attraction was perhaps putting it mildly, Draco thought. He was still wrapped up in the moment though and he leaned in and planted small kiss near Harry’s ear. ‘Your lip is a mess,’ he whispered on a smile.

Harry pressed his head back, his eyes darting to the side a little, ‘as is your ear,’ he advised with a short, breathless laugh.

Harry slid an arm about Draco in a loose embrace, his hand moving softly along the thin shirt his lover still wore. It was the hand that had just captured the Slytherin’s excitement and the moisture seeped through the light material.

Draco grimaced.

Harry laughed again.

\------------

Sirius and Remus had apparated to the pit, but didn’t go inside immediately. With Harry well on the mend, they finally felt free to take a little time for themselves. 

Sirius had an arm about Remus’ shoulders and they appeared as lovers might, walking about the large expanse of grass that filled Harry’s front yard. 

Sirius began speaking into the quiet, ‘you know, we forgot to mention to Nicolas that familiarity we felt when we saw his vampire - Asti - in the forest.’

Remus nodded, ‘that was strange. We haven’t met him before.’

‘No, I am curious as to why we felt that way.’

Remus shook his head a little, ‘it was odd, but maybe he’ll know why. Perhaps it was something Asti was doing – some sort of old magic or something when he was feeding his curiosity about us.’

‘Maybe.’

‘They have a lot of strange characteristics, so perhaps.’

‘No stranger than us,’ Sirius noted, ‘my little werewolf has his strange thinking as well.’

‘Not this again, Padfoot.’

‘This again. You would be a wonderful father to a child, Moony. You could definitely handle it.’

Remus’ face carried a deep frown and his body stiffened a bit, ‘I’ve said many times that I can handle children, and I believe it. I simply do not want any.’

‘You’ve said that many times too,’ Sirius commented, his tone a little acrid.

‘I understand if you need that in your life Sirius. I would never hold you back from-’

‘I need you in my life above everything else,’ Sirius interrupted, his tone bordering on angry.

Remus’ tense frame softened in his lover’s hold and he sighed. ‘We’ve spoken about this many times. It never ends well.’

Sirius was shaking his head, ‘you are being stubborn. It makes no sense to me that you wouldn’t want to have a child in our lives, Moony.’

‘We have Harry.’

‘Harry is hardly a child.’

‘It’s not fair, Sirius. We’ve been over this dozens of times. I have seen it too many times. The children of werewolves love their parent or parents, but there is an element of shame due to the stigma attached. We may have it easier in the world these days, but the stigma remains.’

‘All I hear,’ Sirius said tiredly, ‘is blah blah blah, nonsense, blah blah blah.’

Remus’ eyes sparked, ‘you have not been with the werewolves, but I have. The children are still taunted by school mates about their parent and they have a difficult time finding friends – much like I did – and they are not even werewolves themselves!’

‘You are exaggerating.’

Remus ignored that. ‘I couldn’t bear having my child look at me with disgust for putting him in that position.’

‘You already know I disagree with you about that.’

‘You are being Naïve, Sirius. Children merit a happy childhood – something I didn’t have, but wanted more than anything.’

‘I’ve heard all of this before. I told you, that isn’t going to happen with our child. You can’t compare your situation. You were a werewolf.’

‘Yes and _I’ve told you_ that simply saying something isn’t going to happen does not make it so.’

Sirius stopped walking, his arms at his side, ‘even so, there is no reason we shouldn’t get married.’

‘It is the only reason for doing so.’

‘No it isn’t.’

‘I’m happy like we are.’

‘I’m not.’

‘Yes you are.’

‘I want you to be mine.’

‘I am.’

Sirius sighed heavily and looked toward the sky, ‘James, why oh why can’t you be here.’

‘It wouldn’t matter, Sirius.’

‘He could always talk sense into your head. I just don’t have the art of it.’

‘James would agree with me.’

Sirius regarded Remus with a deadpan stare and Remus couldn’t help but give a breathless, gust of a laugh. ‘Okay,’ he conceded, he would agree with you as always, but then it would be two of you in the wrong.’

‘You could at least consider it rather than just flat out saying no.’

‘I’ve considered it for a very long time, Sirius.’

Sirius reached and pulled a slightly reluctant Remus into his arms, ‘please reconsider,’ he uttered softly, ‘for me?’

Remus sighed again, meeting his eyes and the love shining within those orbs went straight to his heart as it always did. He melted into the embrace, ‘fine,’ he conceded in a small voice, ‘but don’t get your hopes up.’

Sirius grinned. After a few moments his face grew serious, ‘and please don’t bring this up around Harry. All we need is him taking sides.’

‘He’d take your side, I’m sure, just as James would have,’ Remus mumbled.

‘Probably, but that would be unfair to you.’

Remus’ smile appeared. He looked at his love, ‘come on, Padfoot, we have to collect things for Harry.’

Sirius turned and followed Remus to the house, happy to be back on “Padfoot” terms finally.

\------------

Despite the advanced hour, Nicolas Benet had returned to Azkaban. He had been advised by the Aurors that interviewing Lucius Malfoy would have to be achieved after hours as he was in treatment for what they believed to be the onslaught of dementia with a healer that worked day shifts at St. Mungos and treated prisoners in the evening. 

Lucius had been in prison for over ten years and his concurrent sentences meant he would spend another twenty years vacationing in Azkaban. He was a bitter man and prone to fits, which was believed to be a telltale sign of dementia. He seemed to be improving to some degree with the ousting of the Dementors and his wife joining him, but he wasn’t stable, although he appeared to be in perfect health. 

Lucius looked at the detective with utter disgust when he was brought into the visitor’s room and seated before him. 

‘Lucius Malfoy, I am Nicolas Benet,’ Nicolas said pleasantly.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at the man, ‘Benet,’ he repeated sourly.

Nicolas nodded, ‘I merely wanted to ask you a couple of questions.’

‘How can you disgrace yourself as a wizard detective? Your family must be humiliated by your shameful conduct.’

‘I’m sorry?’ Nicolas’ expression was sarcastically quizzing.

‘I know of your family line. Certainly even purebloods in France look askance upon one of its members drudging around dungeons and prisons, digging in muck for clues and mingling with common thieves.’

Nicolas smiled, ‘but as you can see, Mr. Malfoy, I often deal with purebloods like yourself when they have landed themselves in a…prison, a dungeon or muck.’

Lucius scowled, ‘I shouldn’t be here in Azkaban.’

‘Falsely charged where you?’

‘The Ministry has no idea what they are doing, or what they are up against for that matter.’

‘Ah,’ Nicolas mused, ‘Voldemort planning another come back then?’ Nicolas asked brightly.

Lucius flinched, ‘you dare speak the master’s name!’

‘I dare, Mr. Malfoy, I dare.’

Lucius bristled for a moment then he abruptly broke out in soft maniacal laughter, ‘you will all suffer at his hands. You are as big a fool as the rest of them.’

‘Be that as it may, I am not here to talk about your dead master, but rather-’

‘He is not dead,’ Lucius cut him off, ‘he is lying in wait for the right time, just as he did before and just as he will do every time he temporarily goes underground.’

Nicolas nodded his head in agreement. There was no point in arguing with the man. He clearly refused to accept the plain truth. 

‘The reason I have come is to ask if you have had any association whatsoever with Severus Snape since his arrival here at Azkaban.’

A deep rumble escaped Lucius’ throat, ‘if I so much as see that traitor again, I’ll kill him with my bare hands,’ he spat, ‘the Aurors won’t even allow us in the passageway together; they know better.’

‘So the two of you are no longer friends then, I take it?’

Lucius’ eyes filled with wrath, ‘friends with that half-blood, foul, piece of waste? He too will die, if not by my hands then by the master’s when he returns. One doesn’t-’

Nicolas cut in smoothly, breaking off what was clearly going to be a long diatribe on the woes of defying the non-existent dark lord. ‘I understand. Tell me Mr. Malfoy,’ Nicolas said slowly, his tone hypnotic, ‘are you comfortable here?’

Lucius opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His eyes rounded and he found himself becoming lost in the detective’s eyes. Something deep in his soul sent a warning to his brain, but it was lost in the heavenly waves that seemed to be swelling about his consciousness.

Nicolas continued exuding power toward Malfoy until he felt the man come under his power; he encountered none of the resistance he’d had from Snape and Draco. Azkaban had clearly weakened the man to some degree. The detective began speaking softly, ‘have you practiced any magic whatsoever since you arrived at Azkaban?’

‘No,’ Lucius murmured, clearly entranced.

‘Why won’t you visit with your son?’

‘He’s not my son. He is a traitor.’

‘Your blood runs through his veins.’

‘He belongs to another now!’ Lucius spat out the words, haltingly.

Nicolas narrowed his eyes, ‘why do you say that?’

Lucius laughed, but the sound was hallow and barely audible; the waves about him were inhibiting his free will.

‘Why did you say that Draco belongs to another, Mr. Malfoy?’

‘Because I ensured he’d be taken. If he wants to be a traitor, he can live among the dark creatures. That is his due…that is what he deserves.’

‘You arranged for him to be taken by a vampire?’

Lucius laughed again, ‘I arrange everything; some are still loyal. No one defies me…and…gets…away…with…’

Lucius’ head collapsed onto the table and his eyes snapped shut.

Nicolas closed his eyes a moment and allowed his body to relax and then opened them once more to gaze at the man before him who was just regaining consciousness. 

A few moments later Lucius raised his head and shook it harshly. He stared at the man before him, his eyes filled with hatred, ‘what do you want?’

‘Nothing, Mr. Malfoy. I don’t believe you will be able to help me,’ Nicolas said quietly.

‘You brought me here merely to ask me about Snape?’ Lucius sounded livid.

Nicolas stood, ‘yes. Thank you for your time.’

Nicolas turned and quickly left the room, ignoring the muttering of Malfoy behind him. Lucius wouldn’t recall what he’d revealed concerning his son – the detective was practiced enough to know how his skills worked. But the information had left him astounded. 

How could a man hate his own flesh and blood so much that he would arrange to have his soul taken by vampires? The man was truly crazy and though he’d not had anything to do with the poison, Nicolas had ascertained that, the interview had not been a total loss. 

He had to speak with Draco Malfoy; this put a new spin on the situation and he might just be able to assist the young lad after all. 

Nicolas was escorted to the Auror’s offices where he asked to see the records of all of those who had visited Malfoy during the last five years. The list was far shorter than he had imagined and his eyes shone with both triumph and pain when he returned the list to the Aurors and left Azkaban.

__________

Nicolas made a slow return to the room’s Lucian had let and noted upon arrival that a dim light shining through the window. Smoke puffed wearily from the chimney. Lucian was awake; unlike the evening before when he’d arrived. They would have a chance to speak.

Nicolas had never traveled with a companion before and he found he rather liked it. Nicolas had been able to immediately set about his business while Lucian procured a flat for them and took care of other small details he normally had to handle himself. 

Lucian had found a rather small cottage on the outskirts of the city that belied Nicolas’ riches and his own for that matter. Lucian, like all Quidditch players, was quite wealthy in his own right. However, neither liked to flaunt their wealth and their existence was in all ways rather plebian.

Generally, Lucian’s schedule would have prohibited him from accompanying Nicolas, however, he’d recently suffered a mild head injury during a game and the team’s healer had recommended that he avoid possible trauma to the head for a couple of weeks. As a result, he had been forced by the team’s owner to take leave. 

Lucian waited in the cottage for Nicolas’ return. He sat in the front room reading near the roaring fireplace, but immediately laid his book on the small end table beside him when he heard the door lock clink open.

Nicolas, in all of his beauty, stood at the door looking tired and rather worn out. His lover was on his feet at once.

‘Hard day?’ Lucian asked moving to his lover and helping Nicolas to slip out of his robe.

Nicolas smiled wanly, ‘somewhat trying, that’s all. A spot of tea and I will be right as rain.’

Lucian pulled his wand, calling for two cups and a steaming porcelain kettle pot on a tray. He set them on the coffee table and joined his lover on the sofa that sat before it. He leaned in and kissed Nicolas, before allowing him to touch the beverage; something he’d been aching to do since the moment he’d seen him in the arch of the doorway. 

Nicolas didn’t seem to mind at all; he grabbed Lucian and pulled him tightly toward him, deepening the kiss and leaving his lover breathless at the finish.

Lucian was used to it, having no idea that Nicolas was restraining himself with all of his might. He picked up the kettle once Nicolas had finally ended the kiss and began pouring the tea.

‘I took on a small matter today, so we’ll be here a while longer. Not too long though,’ Nicolas said.

‘Oh?’

‘I believe an old friend of yours is involved in this case,’ Nicolas remarked quietly.

‘Whom?’ he asked, handing Nicolas a cup full of steaming liquid.

‘I believe you told me that when you were here before playing for a local team here, you were…dating, Draco Malfoy.’

Their eyes met for a moment and Nicolas watched Lucian throw back his head and laugh; a deep, rolling laugh full of genuine amusement. 

Nicolas did not join in his laughter, but a small smile played about his lips.

When Lucian’s laughter abated, he leaned in to give Nicolas a quick peck on the lips, ‘what has he done now?’ 

Nicolas sat back with his steaming cup and watched as Lucian poured out another cup for himself. ‘Nothing at all,’ the detective answered, ‘he is quite innocent. I merely met with him to gather a bit of information about the case.’

Lucian’s eyebrows elevated slightly for a moment, displaying a lack of real interest in the matter. He had never been very close to Draco, although they had carried on an affair for a while. ‘It’s a very small world,’ Lucian mused.

‘It most certainly is,’ Nicolas agreed. Unless he was mistaken, the world was going to get even smaller in the very near future for Draco Malfoy…perhaps even smother him. And he was uncertain that he or anyone else would be able to do a thing about it. 

The detective and his friend retired after their tea and Nicolas fell almost immediately asleep, the long day taking its toll. He was awakened sometime later by a gentle wind, brushing against his face, caressing it with warmth. Lucian was curled in his arms, sound asleep. 

Nicolas remained still, happiness exploding inside of him, seconds before the beloved voice whispered to his soul, for his ears only. ‘Meet me at the cottage in two days time?’

The words moved through him, causing waves of compassion and warmth to surge through his soul. The cottage…he knew the one Asti meant; it had been their old home.

It had been a question, but surely Asti knew the answer before Nicolas accepted the invitation as he always did; in his mind. Once he had, the waves began to recede and Nicolas felt his eyes stinging. All the love and happiness remained in the wake of the waves, but it had all been too short lived – and one sided. 

He blinked away the water pooling in his eyes and closed them as a collage of a thousand memories chased through his mind. It was beautiful and dangerous to think of the past, but he couldn’t help himself, all but forgetting the man that lay blissfully asleep in his arms. 

It would be a full hour before sleep would again catch him.


	11. Chapter 11

The magical screen was relaying the latest news in magical developments, but it was lost on Harry. Draco had left some twenty minutes before and it was quite late, but Harry was still buzzing and heavily involved in a lively conversation with himself. 

Draco’s vampire ordeal wasn’t playing too much on his mind, but Draco was. He was a little surprised at his ever growing infatuation with the Slytherin. That hadn’t happened to him in a long while. He was very good at keeping himself in check; it had been easy, none of the females he’d dated since Ginny had managed to capture his interest in any significant way. 

His feelings seemed to be running on autopilot at the moment. Draco turned out to be far more intriguing than he’d anticipated and he had to admit, way more sensual than expected. Truth told he hadn’t known what to expect being with a male, but the experience left him questioning why he’d waited so long. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the hospital room wards advising him of visitors. It was Sirius and Remus returning as expected. Remus was glowing and Sirius was full of energy, which answered for Harry the question of why they’d been so long delayed.

‘We got everything you requested,’ Remus beamed.

‘I think Moony managed to bring half your house in this bottomless bag,’ he quipped holding up a rather small satchel. 

Harry laughed, ‘thanks.’

Remus was regarding Harry with a small frown, ‘what’s happened to your lip?’

Harry’d forgotten about his lip, the bottom was swollen and a bit ripped from Draco’s earlier attack upon it. He had no story. ‘My lip?’

‘It’s terribly red and looks to be blistered,’ Remus said, ‘we should have the healer look at it – the poison may have-’

‘I don’t think poison had anything to do with it, Moony,’ Sirius cut in, ‘did you have a visitor while we were away, Harry?’

‘A visitor?’ Harry hedged.

‘Yeah, you know the people that come here, sit down, talk to you, ask how you’re feeling, that sort of thing.’

Remus laughed and turned a knowing look upon Harry, ‘Draco dropped by?’

‘He stopped in for a moment, yeah.’

Sirius smirked, ‘did you get in a fight?’

Harry lost it then and he began laughing, which only increased when Remus unknowingly picked up some tissues from the floor and tossed them in the waste bin. 

Sirius’ regarded the waste bin with a look of disgust then looked to Remus’ hands. I think you need to wash up your hands, Moony.’

It took a moment, but then Remus groaned.

Harry continued laughing. 

\--------

Draco had a better excuse for forgetting about his battered ear, ravaged by the Gryffindor. He’d gotten all of two hours sleep and he was bone tired when his magical alarm set to ringing him awake for game day. He had glanced at the mirror before leaving home and noting that he looked like a bleary-eyed wreck, he quickly looked away again, leaving without noticing his deeply reddened ear with two little dark marks decorating the lobe. 

It was pretty obvious and he should have noted it; his teammates did. Thankfully, they believed him when he said he woke up with it and must have gotten bitten. But he charmed it nonetheless.

The energy in the locker room was palpable. Suppressed excitement controlled the ambiance and every player present was hyped …except Draco. He was _performing_ , trying to exhibit excitement that didn’t reach his eyes. He felt as if a thousand rocks were weighing him down and he had a bad feeling that if the game came down to him catching the snitch, they would lose. The Dragons were a phenomenal team and Cho, while nowhere near as good as Harry, was capable enough to keep up with him. It was bound to be a close game and it was doubtful time would run out. He’d have to catch the snitch to end it.

They were going to lose. 

And it would be entirely Harry’s fault.

He trundled onto the pitch with the team to the cheers of the Slayer’s supporters and thanked Merlin when the adrenaline started pumping a little. Perhaps, he thought, all was not lost.

The waterbearer, a young lad of 15, brought him a water satchel which he took gratefully and began to drink. He looked down on the dark-haired lad as he drank it and was met by a pair of green eyes – filled with worship. The memory of a scent, certainly not emanating from the pitch, coursed through his senses, bringing with it a clash of memories he had no time for at the moment.

Disregarding all thoughts of his green-eyed monster, he forced his mind to focus on the child.

‘Thanks,’ he said kindly, smiling at the young lad.

‘You’re gonna get after them and win today!’ the young man predicted, his enthusiasm completely uncorked. 

Draco nodded and put his hand out for a hi-five. The boy trundled off happily and Draco hoped he wouldn’t be the one to disappoint him. 

The team was huddling, players and subs alike, and he turned to join them, forcing himself to dwell on the game and what lay ahead. The players began their ritual pre-game chant and he was relieved to feel his heart starting to pound and his mind revving into game mode. 

By the time the seven starters headed to the pitch to meet their opponents, Draco had his head in the game, his adrenaline pumping and a modicum of forgiveness for Harry for keeping him up all night. 

\----------

The healer burst into Harry’s room and the four occupants present jumped in their seats. Harry and Ron were seated on a chair transfigured into a couch and Remus and Sirius sat on comfortable visitors’ chairs in front of the room’s Magical Screen watching the Slayer-Dragon game. 

‘It sounds as if there is a riot going on in here,’ the disgruntled healer snapped.

‘No need to be nasty about it, we’ll cast a silencing spell,’ Sirius said grumpily.

‘That won’t be necessary; I am putting up silencing wards,’ the healer responded in an evil tone, ‘I doubt any thing less would keep the racket in here from the ears of anyone on the continent.’

‘Well get on with it then and go,’ Sirius said nastily.

Harry caught his godfather’s eye and sniggered under his breath.

Sirius grinned and then shrugged.

The healer continued to mumble derisive remarks in between spells as he evoked the wards. Erecting the silencing wards was a rather loud process in itself. In addition to reciting the incantation, the room shook as each ward was put in place. The healer seemed to believe many millions would be necessary.

‘Can you keep it down?’ Remus asked the healer to the amusement of the game watching bunch.

The healer opened his mouth to retort, but Remus sent a quick wand-less silencing charm at the man and his voice went unheard.

The four broke into peals of laughter at the sight of the healer reversing the charm and storming from the room, but their heads flew around to the screen when the crowd began to roar. They became captivated once more; the magical projectors had just switched to show the two seekers who were once again after the elusive snitch. 

The game had been going on for two hours and the score was tied. Cho Chang, substituting for Harry as the Dragon’s seeker, had played well so far against the skilled maneuvers of Draco Malfoy. Catching it would of course spell the end to the game and proclaim the team of the seeker who caught it the winner.

All present in the hospital room were pulling for the Dragons and cheering Cho on, as she did her best to keep up with Draco. The snitch took a sudden dive, veering to the left, giving Cho the sudden advantage. The hospital room noise level increased immensely as Chang zipped suddenly sideways, the snitch right before her; everyone in the room began shouting advice or instructions at the screen. 

Draco appeared to have been taken off guard by the snitch’s abrupt shift in direction, but he was quick and within seconds he was flying almost level with Cho behind the golden-winged ball. Cho stretched forward, reaching for the snitch and Draco’s hand was just centimeters behind.

‘Come on, Chang,’ Ron yelled loudly. 

‘It’s yours for the taking!’ Remus said hotly beside him.

‘Snag it!’ Sirius demanded of the screen.

‘You’ve got it, Cho’ Harry cried, his hand focused on her stretched fingers. He felt almost as if they were his own, his body angling forward as he silently urged her to surge and grab it.

Cho did surge and her hand began to close over the snitch when suddenly Draco flipped his broom around and zipped underneath of her. Startled, Cho’s hand snapped out of its claw-like position and she grabbed her broom, pulling upward to avoid being hit by the Slytherin. Draco flipped again while she did so and with a deft maneuver that would be enthusiastically discussed by the wizard world over the next few days, grabbed the snitch. Without pause, the Slytherin quickly descended to the furious roar of the crowd. The camera followed him and moments later split screen action showed an angry Cho, still trying to resituate on her broom as she descended behind him. 

‘Damn!’ Harry spat.

Remus shook his head, ‘that was a bloody disaster; she had it.’

‘She could have eaten the bloody snitch she was so close, why the hell did she pull up?’ Sirius said testily.

‘Blimey,’ Ron said scathingly, ‘she should have seen that coming; Draco always goes for that move; if she had just stayed with it instead of bucking like a spooked cat she’d of had it.’

The four sat in silence for a few seconds, bemoaning the loss, but all heads turned abruptly to face Harry when he spoke. 

‘She didn’t see it coming. She just hasn’t had the play time and experience to go against the top seekers yet.’

‘She’s seen him try it before, dozens of times’ Ron said, unwilling to excuse her. 

‘That doesn’t mean she could handle it,’ Harry responded, ‘it’s a damn wicked move.’ 

Harry immediately found himself receiving dirty looks from three pairs of eyes. 

‘Well it is!’ he defended.

‘Maybe,’ Sirius blurted at Harry, ‘but Draco just beat your team with that damn wicked move.’

‘Doesn’t lessen its brilliance.’

‘Brilliance?’ Ron’s tone indicated his disbelief at Harry’s disloyal words in the wake of the Dragons’ defeat. Any loyal Dragon worth his salt would never praise Draco’s move; at best one might admit it had been a lucky play.

‘I call um as I see um,’ Harry replied arrogantly. He realized he had pretty much disgraced himself, but he was damned if he’d own up to it. His response had been impulsive, no doubt reflecting his attraction for the Slytherin, but he wasn’t about to admit to that either.

He didn’t need to.

‘All I can say,’ Ron said dryly, ‘is you’ve got it bad, mate. I just hope you don’t repeat that sentiment to your team when they come around.’

Harry noted Sirius and Remus nodding in agreement. ‘I haven’t got anything bad,’ he lied, ‘that has nothing to do with it.’ 

‘Well a favor then,’ Ron said aggressively, if the impossible occurs and we lose our game tonight, don’t come telling me about how wickedly brilliant the Wingers' plays against us were. I might go ballistic.’ 

Harry rolled his eyes in response, looking mulish, ‘I figured they’d lose without me,’ he mumbled.

His relatives had knowing smirks planted on their lips, but didn’t press the matter further. Their eyes returned to the screen to watch the Dragons’ coach being interviewed; he was making much more appropriate comments concerning their loss and the other team’s victory.

In truth, Harry was as upset at the loss as the next bloke. While he was always one to recognize a good play, that generally did not include those made against his team if they lost…at least not until many moons had passed. He was a bit ashamed for feeling a bit happy for Draco and the fact that he’d embarrassed himself aloud wasn’t helping.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nicolas Benet arrived at Azkaban at first light. He was determined to interview a few of the prison block cell mates quickly and then interview the ex-potions professor. 

Upon his arrival, the Aurors advised Nicolas that they had confiscated boxes of chocolates from Crabbe and Goyle which the lad’s had received from Draco the same day Snape had received the ultimately poisoned box. Tests on chocolates revealed that they were poison free, but they turned them over to Nicolas nonetheless. 

Nicolas advised them that his own tests uncovered an odd and rare substance in the poisoned chocolates, one not normally used for poisoning and in fact, used only by potions masters in the wizard world. It was a gelatinous substance used to keep objects in balance, suspended in a container. The Aurors advised him that the substance was not something used at Azkaban and they had no idea how it had been smuggled into the facility. 

Nicolas asked to visit Crabbe and Goyle in their cells rather than in the visiting room and he was led first to Crabbe and then to Goyle. Both boys vehemently denied having any contact with Severus Snape other than to greet him when they passed his cell. 

Nicolas immediately spoke with the records Auror to verify what the lads had said and determined they had not been telling the truth. He found a report by an Auror who had been in charge of the lads during the time when a rather large fracas had occurred near their prison block. That had been on the very day that Snape had given the chocolates to Ginny and the report indicated that the Auror had abandoned the lads to identify the cause of the uproar. The report also indicated that the lads had earlier been pestering Snape about his chocolates. 

Nicolas spoke with the Auror who’d written the report and confirmed that some of the cell doors had been left open when the Auror’s left the hall to pursue the cause of the fracas, but he was unsure if Snape’s cell was one of them. He believed it possible as he clearly recalled seeing Snape in the room where the fracas was occurring and agreed that his cell, if left open, could have been accessed and the chocolates he’d received tampered with. 

Nicolas decided to do a bit more investigation prior to confronting the lads again and moved to a cell at the end of the passage housing an older woman. He had been informed that she was Mrs. Galina Pettigrew and that she had been on her way to the library in the company of an Auror on the day of the fracas and had reported the boys for running amok in the hallway, nearly knocking her over. 

The woman sat on the only chair in her cell and after being introduced by an Auror as a detective come to ask about the fracas that had taken place in her cellblock, Nicolas moved to sit on her bed. However, it was covered by a delicate lace mantle and he thought it might upset her if he sat upon it, so he refrained from sitting altogether. 

Nicolas stood before her and after brief introductions he got down to questioning her. ‘There was a bit of a fracas in the cell passageway not too long ago, do you recall it?’ he asked.

Mrs. Pettigrew nodded, ‘yes, as a matter of fact, I was on my way to the library when I suddenly heard a woman screaming. I moved toward the door at the end of the passage way from where it originated, but I never made it to actually see the woman. Before I arrived, those two youngsters, Crabbe and Goyle, came running out of Snape’s cell nearly knocking me over and leaving my ankle feeling sore.’

Nicolas’ eyes widened a bit, ‘Crabbe and Goyle were in Snape’s cell you say?’ 

‘Yes,’ she affirmed, ‘I saw them in the cell just before they sprinted out,’ she said, her voice somewhat miffed, ‘as I said, they ran into me, nearly knocking me down in their rush to leave the cell. I imagine because they had no business being in there. I reported them to the Aurors. They need a closer eye.’

‘Did you see what they had been doing in the cell prior to running out?’ Nicolas asked.

‘No. However, they had been standing near the back of the cell by the desk,’ she advised. 

Nicolas frowned and began walking about her cell looking at an odd assortment of knickknacks on her desk. ‘How did you come to collect these items?’ he asked gently, his curiosity piqued.

‘Well two young men, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin come to visit me now and again and they bring these small gifts. I knew them when they were younger you see, they were friends with my son before his death.’

Nicolas’ back was to Mrs. Pettigrew, his brows raised. He knew very well that they had not been ‘friends’ for some time prior to her son’s death. He turned and smiled warmly at Mrs. Pettigrew, ‘that is nice for you.’

Mrs. Pettigrew sighed, ‘yes, I have no one left you see. However, their visits are very pleasant and I have managed to make some friends here.’

‘I see. Tell me, Mrs. Pettigrew, have you had any association with Severus Snape since you arrived?’

‘Mr. Snape? No, he is quite the recluse. I do see him from time to time in the library; he is as fond of books as am I. Occasionally we have spoken about a particular book for a few moments in the library, but as I say, he does not really associate with anyone here, a very introverted individual.’

‘So I have ascertained,’ Nicolas said a little wearily, ‘so after Crabbe and Goyle ran from the cell, did you see where they went?’

‘Yes, they ran back to their cells and I admonished them to be careful. They didn’t listen to me though, that is why I reported them.’

Nicolas smiled, ‘I don’t imagine they are intelligent enough to take your advice, but at least you were not harmed.’ 

‘No, but those boys are really quite a nuisance. One of these days they are likely to hurt someone with their carelessness.’

Nicolas nodded in agreement as he walked toward the cell door. He turned before leaving, ‘thank you very much for speaking with me.’

She smiled, ‘you are welcome; I wish I could be more helpful, but as I say, I did not see the woman who was screaming in the hall. I have no idea what happened really, other than she was taken ill.’ 

‘Oh you have been very helpful and I appreciate it.’ Nicolas said as he left the cell.

Nicolas moved with narrowed eyes as he headed back to the cells of Crabbe and Goyle; it was time to employ his gifts. 

Nicolas confronted Crabbe and Goyle again, but this time entrancing the lads when he spoke with them individually and he was gratified to find that he received no resistance whatsoever. He easily obtained a confession from both that they had switched two of the chocolates in Snape’s cell with their own, but that their boxes had been taken from them. 

The lads insisted that they had not become ill from eating Snape’s chocolates and both were adamant, even entranced, that they had not placed poison on the chocolates in Snape’s cell. Nicolas knew his gifts were not foolproof, but he was inclined to believe them.

Crabbe was especially easily entranced and he gave Nicolas a little extra bit of information when he was busily giving reasons for nicking Snape’s candy in trade for his own.

‘You see,’ Crabbe said, ‘the food here is alright, but nothing special and no candy. I love candy so of course I wanted to try Snape’s out.’

Nicolas was again pacing as he had in Mrs. Pettigrew’s cell, but this time because Crabbe’s prison bed mantel was stained with chocolate. ‘Tell me Mr. Crabbe, have you received many gifts of chocolate from Draco Malfoy?’

‘Yes,’ Crabbe said brightly, but still in the sing-song voice of one under a spell, ‘he brings both Vincent and I candy every time he visits, once a month. It is always the same chocolate and it is very good, but we have never gotten anything so brilliant as what he gave to Snape.’ Crabbe frowned, ‘I suppose it is because he had neglected Snape for so long; it was the first time he’d ever given any chocolates to Snape you see.’

‘And how would you know that?’

‘We know all of the sweets that move through our cell block. We pay attention; we trade, beg or even steal it if we have to.’

Nicolas shook his head lightly and then closed his eyes, losing his connection with the lad. 

Crabbe snapped to; looking at Nicolas with confusion written across his features, ‘so what is it you wanted Mr. Detective?’

Nicolas smiled lightly, ‘nothing Mr. Crabbe, I merely was checking to see if everything was alright after our earlier interview.’

Crabbe’s cheeks reddened, ‘yes, well…I am…er….fine. I told you all I know. Never had any contact with professor Snape other than a passing hello.’

‘Very well,’ Nicolas accepted the lie graciously.

‘Why are you asking about Snape anyway?’ Crabbe asked, confused, ‘the Auror told me you wanted to talk about that lady who was screaming in the hallway.’

‘I was told you were not in the area where the lady was suffering, so I had no questions about that.’

Crabbe’s brain seemed to brighten with thought, ‘Snape is the man who attacked her? I heard she was taken to the prison hospital.’

‘I am uncertain who attacked her, but everyone is suspect at this point, Mr. Crabbe.’

Crabbe’s curiosity regarding Snape seemed to wane, ‘well I didn’t attack her!’ he declared. 

‘I believe you,’ Nicolas replied shortly.

Crabbe gave a winsome little smile and his eyes suddenly went alight, ‘say, you don’t have any sweets do you?’ he asked hopefully.

Nicolas shook his head a little at the boy’s seeming lack of intelligence, ‘no I am afraid I don’t,’ Nicolas said as he turned to go.

‘Too bad,’ Crabbe mumbled.

‘Yes, it is a pity,’ commiserated Nicolas as he left.

Nicolas headed back to the Auror’s offices. It was growing late and he would have to interview other cell block members another day, but there was one more person he wanted to see. He asked to speak to Snape once again. Shortly thereafter found the ex-potions professor awaiting him in the visitor’s room. 

Snape had been informed that the chocolates contained poison prior to the detective’s first visit with him. His expression made it clear that he understood himself to be a suspect, but he behaved arrogantly nonchalant in the face of it.

‘Ah, the return of the mad hypnotist,’ Snape said snidely upon Nicolas’ entrance, ‘come to attempt more of your intriguing yet ineffectual spellbinding antics?’

Nicolas smiled, ‘I have met few people with as much resistance to my gifts as you have shown Mr. Snape. I know when to throw up my hands in defeat.’

Snape smirked, his dark eyes boring into the detective. 

‘I was hoping you would simply be willing to answer a few questions without the need of outside…influence or…potions.’

Snape’s brows lifted slightly, ‘I am more than adept at resisting Veritaserum and other truth serums.’

‘I figured as much; however, there are other ways. Nonetheless, I am not interested in resorting to force.’

‘What is it you want, Detective?’ Snape asked unkindly.

‘You have assured me that you did not poison the chocolates that you gave to Miss Weasley and you have indicated that you gave them to her in thanks for bringing you certain reading materials.’

Snape’s expression was a mixture of boredom and exasperation, ‘yes, I told you those things. Is there some reason you are repeating them to me? Did you not make note of them or have you merely run out of things to ask?’

Nicolas smiled, ‘the reading materials were checked by the Aurors and according to them they were rather unimportant information regarding various potions.’

‘Quite.’

‘I was wondering if you would allow me to see the books, or…documents is it?’

Snape scowled, ‘Books. I couldn’t care less; you may see them any time you like.’

‘That’s fine then. You have indicated that the relationship between you and Miss Weasley is platonic; however, it is somewhat odd for a visitor to come so frequently to visit a prisoner in Azkaban. It is an anomaly really; no one has visited as much as she.’

‘She is very interested in potions. I give her information in exchange for the books I request.’

‘So it is nothing more than an amiable even exchange of information.’

‘Precisely. Perhaps you should look at the meetings yourself. I believe the Aurors keep pensive records of such things. Our meetings are for an exchange of materials; nothing more, nothing less.’

‘And yet, the Aurors have indicated that the books are all very mundane; nothing out of the ordinary really.’ 

Snape narrowed his eyes at the detective, ‘that is because they have no notion of potions.’

‘So in reality, they are full of more potent information than the Aurors realize?’

Snape sighed as if he were dealing with a not-too-bright child, ‘they are non-descript in and of themselves, however, they are filled with new information.’ Snape looked at the man before him with disgust, ‘perhaps you do not realize that I am a potions master? I have never ceased to work since my incarceration began and while I can only propose theories, I am able to use the information to further them.’

‘I see. Is Miss Weasley perhaps testing these theories for you in a practical sense?’

Snape scoffed, ‘she is not adept enough to do so, even if I had worked them out fully which I have not.’

Nicolas lifted his brows, ‘in that case, why did you find it necessary to give her chocolates? You didn’t owe her anything; that is, she was doing something for you and you were doing something for her, it was all quite even.’

Snape’s expression collapsed into anger, but his voice remained steely and his tone low, ‘it was something she did not have to do and she did so for a very long time. As you mentioned, not many people would even consider doing such a thing and I merely wished to show my appreciation.’

‘Um,’ Nicolas said thoughtfully, ‘you have never been known as a man who bothers showing appreciation.’

‘Very few deserve it.’

‘I see,’ Nicolas said slowly, ‘so you don’t harbor any, let us say, tender feelings for Miss Weasley?’

Snape merely stared at Nicolas with an evil visage.

‘Is that a no?’ Nicolas asked wearily.

‘I am twice the child’s age; I may be many things, but a cradle robber is not among them.’

Nicolas nodded curtly, ‘then we can rule out your poisoning her because she did not return your regard.’

‘If that is the most credible possibility you have come up with in your efforts to discover who poisoned the chocolates, you should be removed from the case. If I were you, I would speak with the Potter brat. He more than likely poisoned the chocolates himself; he’s always been suicidal, running off at every turn trying to get himself killed.’

‘Harry Potter’s efforts in ridding us of Voldemort can hardly be described as suicidal.’

Snape shrugged, ‘depends on one’s point of view I would say.’ 

‘In any case, all of the chocolates contained the poison, not just the one Mr. Potter ate.’

Snape scowled, ‘I am well aware of that. And that is your mystery to solve, detective.’ His face suddenly crumbled into a look of utter distaste, ‘it is also very possible that Potter’s scum of a godfather poisoned the chocolates or that nasty wolf he is so terribly fond of.’

Nicolas sighed and sat back in his chair, ‘now why would Sirius or Remus wish to poison the chocolates?’ 

Snape sneered, ‘they think nothing of carrying out little pranks to the extent of murder. They tried to murder me before when I was just sixteen years old. I wouldn’t put it past them to try again; it would give them nothing but pleasure if I were to die at their hands.’

‘While I will not deny that, they have no association with Draco Malfoy who delivered the chocolates to you and-’ Nicolas paused, staring intently at the professor.

Snape lifted his brows, ‘be that as it may, I am sure they could find a way to get at me; it has been their dire wish to see me dead for years. The whole thing was likely an attempt by Black and Lupin to poison me.’

Nicolas blinked at the man a few times and then stood, ‘I am one hundred percent certain they would do no such thing,’ he said curtly, ‘that is all for now Mr. Snape. Thank you for your time.’

Snape arose and turned quickly to leave the room. ‘A one-eyed boggart could do a better job at playing detective,’ he mumbled over his shoulder as he left the room.

Nicolas stood and stared at the door Snape had just passed through. The amber in his eyes began to glisten and his lips twitched slightly. After a few moments he went to the Auror’s offices and requested another set of records. He reviewed them carefully and when he finished the detective sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry was ecstatic; his healer had informed him that he would be able to leave the hospital the next day. It appeared that the poison had finally left his system and the healer had arranged for his discharge upon receiving a final set of tests in the early hours. 

It had been a long day of games and visitors and he was growing tired, but the news had him feeling buoyant once more. Some of his teammates had come by after the game to visit, bemoaning their loss, blaming Cho Chang and begging Harry to never let his defenses down in the future. Harry was much more circumspect in his comments to the team than he’d been earlier, but he had to admit to himself that he wasn’t as upset about it all as he should have been. 

His teammates stayed to watch the late game and luckily the wards were still in place. The group was riotous as they watched and cheered throughout the game. Ron’s team, the Avengers managed the win and the room blew up with cheers and groans, some having rooted against them. Harry smile was wide though, happy Ron’s team had come out on top.

By early evening, only Sirius and Remus remained and his godfather declared that he was going to arrange a little get together at the pit the next evening to celebrate Harry’s release. He declared he would invite all of Harry’s teammates and tell them to invite others as well. Remus added that he planned to invite a few of those that had come by and shown concern for Harry.

Only then did they think to pause and ask Harry if he was up for it. 

He was.

Harry was happy at the thought of partying again and then was struck by the thought that the Slayers, having just beaten his team, might not be informed of the party by his teammates, who were surely still a bit sour about it all. Sirius left to speak to the healers and when he’d departed, Harry cornered Remus and asked about the ‘others’ he planned to invite. 

‘Well,’ said Remus slowly, his eyes aimed at the ceiling as he thought, ‘I was going to ask the Weasley family, Nymphadora, Luna and Neville.

Harry nodded his brows creased downward, ‘can you let Draco know?’

Remus laughed, ‘of course.’

Harry quickly met his eyes, realizing Remus had been teasing him, purposely leaving him off the list. Flushing a little he nodded, ‘thanks.’

Remus moved and pulled Harry into a hug, ‘I won’t mention that blush to Sirius, he’d never let you forget it.’

Harry laughed.

Sirius reentered the room accompanied by Nicolas a few minutes later. 

‘Look who I found lurking about,’ Sirius said jokingly.

Harry was surprised to see the detective. He wondered if there had been an advance in the case of the chocolates or if it had something to do with his interview with Draco the previous evening. When Nicolas asked to speak with Harry alone, he began feeling a bit of trepidation.

Sirius nodded, ‘Come along then, Remy, let’s have tea while they speak.’ 

‘Bring me chips or something,’ Harry called, ‘they have been starving me.’

His relatives laughed and nodded as they left the room.

Nicolas sat down on a chair before Harry smiling kindly, then frowned a little, ‘what has happened to your lip?’

Harry unconsciously reached for his bottom lip, flushing up a bit, ‘it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. What did you wish to speak to me about?’

Nicolas’ eyes creased as he acceded to Harry’s unspoken desire to skip the topic of his lip, but then he grew serious, ‘Has Draco told you about his being bitten?’

‘Yes,’ Harry nodded, relieved that the news wasn’t going to be about Draco’s involvement with the chocolates.

‘Harry,’ Nicolas said contemplatively, ‘what do you know about vampire lore?’

‘I know that they may come back to bite again and cause their victim to become a vampire. Oh and that they may kill whoever is attracted to their victim,’

‘Well that is all quite true; it has become less frequent of an occurrence since the war, but it is quite true.’

Harry screwed up his features, ‘the bit about killing the person who is attracted? What is that all about? Are they a naturally jealous lot?’

Nicolas chuckled, ‘No, merely very possessive. Vampires bring their sons – what we call victims - into the world and they do not wish for their sons to have any reason to retain an alliance with the wizard world outside of that of the Vampires.’

‘Why?’

‘Because Vampires, despite being misconstrued as monstrous creatures that will randomly bite any victim they come across, are actually very intelligent. They chose wisely and are very selective who they will bring into their world. If every son wanted to bring their lover along, whether well equipped to be a vampire or not, they feel it will wreak havoc on their society.’

‘Well that explains why they haven’t come back to re-bite everyone they bit during the war.’ 

‘Right,’ Nicolas agreed, ‘they were under the orders of Voldemort to kill, but many did not die and the Vampires did not return for them. The only time I have known them to kill outside of that is when they take the lives of those with an ongoing attraction to their chosen sons. I am a bit concerned because I know you and Draco have become good friends – with perhaps some attraction between you.’

‘You needn’t fear for my safety Nicolas,’ Harry said slowly, ‘I have dealt with many vampires in the past. Does that mean they plan to return for Draco?’

Nicolas nodded.

Harry frowned, ‘there’s something I should mention; Draco wants to keep the fact that he was bitten under wraps as much as possible.’

‘I know he does, he said as much and more, I could feel his distress at the notion that the information might be revealed. However, I felt it necessary that you be warned against a possible attack.’

‘I figured that is why you wanted him to tell me.’

‘Yes,’ Nicolas continued slowly, ‘I now have further concerns. Unfortunately I shall have to break a promise I made to Draco about keeping this from your godfather and Remus. They must be informed.’ 

Harry’s frown deepened.

‘I have spoken to Lucius Malfoy. It seems that he was somewhat disheartened by his son’s defection from the dark side. It was he who set the vampire upon the lad.’

‘What?’ Harry asked, flabbergasted. 

Nicolas nodded, his lips momentarily forming a wry line, ‘I have checked the names of all of his visitors since he arrived and I found that a vampire, Zywilder by name, paid him a visit several years ago.’

‘Lucius sent a vampire after Draco?’ Harry asked with awe in his tone. 

‘I am afraid so and he plans to return for him, which could mean an attack upon you as well.’ Nicolas’ face mirrored Harry’s frown, ‘I know that there is some family matter of great importance to Draco and he wants to keep all of this quiet. That is why I was willing to allow him to speak you alone; I knew you would be able to handle the situation.’

Harry nodded.

‘However, following my discussion with Lucius, the matter became a bit more dangerous. Now I am certain Zywilder – or whichever vampire if he passed the job off to another – has certain plans to attack Draco again and bring him into their world, which means you may also be attacked.’

Harry frowned, ‘does this have anything to do with my being poisoned by the chocolates?’

Nicolas shook his head, ‘no, I don’t believe that had anything to do with this; vampires do not resort to such means. They would come after you in the traditional manner and solely because of your attraction to Draco. You are attracted to him?’

Harry nodded, deciding that they didn’t need to discuss the specifics of that, ‘do you know when Zywilder is planning to attack?’ he asked quickly.

‘No idea, however, I am acquainted with several vampires…one…in particular. I plan to pay him a little visit and I will speak to him on behalf of Draco. I think he might be willing to help, although I can’t be certain. Draco will have to come with me, just to be near during the meeting, he won’t have to meet the vampire. 

‘Why does he have to be near?’

‘Vampires know the essence of their kind. The vampire I am meeting will be able to confirm who it was that bit Draco.’

Harry nodded slowly, ‘so you think you will be able to thwart Lucius’ plans?’

‘I believe so, it won’t be terribly easy, but I think I can. I am going to bring Sirius and Remus into my confidence. I am certain that they will not reveal anything.’

‘Do they have to know? I mean I trust them of course, but Draco is very worried…’

‘I am going to need their help.’

‘Oh. Can’t I help you?’

Nicolas smiled, ‘no. It is not skill or wizardry I require. I,’ he sighed, ‘will need a bit of support myself after visiting the vampire. It can be – trying.’ 

Harry frowned a little. ‘I see.’ But he really didn’t. Yet he felt to ask more would be prying, it was clear the detective didn’t wish to elaborate. 

‘I was hoping to take care of this tomorrow,’ Nicolas said then.

“Tomorrow?”

Nicolas nodded, ‘I have no idea when the vampire plans to attack, but the sooner I intercede the better. I will need Draco, but at least another besides to assist me.’

Harry frowned slightly, but Sirius and Remus chose that moment to return and after allowing Sirius to toss a bag of chips to Harry, Nicolas carried them out again for a private conversation. 

Harry’s frowned deepened. He didn’t have to be a part of it all, but he didn’t like that they were speaking out of ear-shot. Why couldn’t he tell them in front of him? His expression settled into a look of determination that would have made the Marauder’s proud. He ripped open the bag of chips and ate them hungrily while he waited.

When the men returned Harry immediately began speaking, ‘so you are going out tomorrow to pursue Draco’s problem?’ he asked looking at Nicolas.

‘I still have to contact Draco Malfoy, but I hope to do so,’ Nicolas answered. ‘I have shared everything with Sirius and Remus-’

Sirius interrupted then, his tone firm, ‘I don’t know the ins and outs of Draco’s family problem, Harry, but keeping something like this from us was madness.’ Sirius sat on the bed next to Harry. 

Harry looked at his godfather, ‘you know I trust you,’ he turned to Remus sat on his other side, ‘both of you. However, Draco was adamant that this information be passed to as few people as possible. It is important to him; he could lose control of his legacy. He has worked hard to channel funds into non-evil ventures and if his family were to get a hold of it, they’d slip it right back into furthering evil.’ 

‘And you feared we were going to ring up a few members of my estranged family and start babbling the news?’ Sirius asked haughtily.

‘My trust in you had nothing to do with it. Draco asked me to keep his confidence and I promised I would.’

‘Still, I want to know everything when it comes to your safety,’ Sirius said worriedly.

Harry smiled, ‘haven’t I proven that I can take care of myself?’

‘That isn’t the point, Harry,’ Remus interjected.

‘I know,’ Harry said quickly, ‘I guess I became overly concerned with Draco’s need to keep this secret.’ 

‘Yeah, well, just don’t go keeping death threatening secrets from us in the future,’ there was nothing light about Sirius’ tone.

‘I Promise,’ Harry said sincerely.

Remus’ face relaxed, ‘and don’t worry, we won’t say a word to anyone about Draco’s situation.’

‘Well except to Rita Skeeter over at the Daily Prophet,’ Sirius said brightly, ‘I owe her one, but I am sure she won’t tell a soul.’

Harry laughed and punched his godfather in the arm, ‘She no longer works there. Besides, I think you’d be more likely to tell Snape first.’

Sirius grimaced, dodging the punch best he could, ‘I was having such a nice day, why’d you have to go and bring him up?’

Chuckles filled the room.

Harry looked up again, ‘you know Nicolas, generally there is a pretty ferocious party thrown by the winning team after a game…Draco may not be in any condition to travel tomorrow.’

‘Ah, I had forgotten about that,’ Nicolas sighed and move a hand over the back of his neck, ‘I have already set an appointment with my – the vampire for tomorrow.’

Harry licked his still blistered lip, ‘between the game and the party, he’ll be very tired. Perhaps you should ask him to drop by here on his way to the party and discuss things. Explain the importance of the meeting and perhaps he won’t overdo it at the celebration tonight.’

Sirius, Remus and Nicolas stared at Harry for a moment, their faces rather immobile and then Sirius let go of a great barking laugh and the other two joined in.

‘It was just a suggestion,’ Harry said arrogantly, but his words were drowned out by the laughter.

Remus pulled Harry’s head into a one arm hug and rubbed his unkempt hair with his knuckles, ‘that sounded exactly like the silly excuses James used to come up with when he was trying to be inconspicuous about inviting Lily around.’

Harry’s smile was fondness personified, ‘I was just trying to be helpful.’

‘Um hum,’ Sirius quipped, ‘helpful to whom?’

Nicolas’ face was creased in a smile and Harry noted, not for the first time, how tremendously attractive the detective was. A vague memory ran through his mind regarding vampire lore, and how beauty was an important attribute for those chosen. He wondered if they had sought Nicolas to join them; he seemed a perfect fit. They were not on close enough terms for him to ask, but it piqued his curiosity. 

For some reason Draco’s carelessly wild smile slipped into his head in the next moment and his heart ramped up a notch. In the face of Nicolas’ beauty, it surprised him a little. 

He was jerked from his thoughts at the sight of all three men staring at him. 

‘I’m sorry, I was thinking about something...’ Harry murmured.

Sirius nodded, ‘Nicolas wanted Draco’s direction to send him a note asking him to drop in – that is if you are up for it; perhaps you’d rather retire, they can meet elsewhere.’ 

Harry caught the amusement in Sirius’ tone and looked at him wryly, ‘I feel fine. Of course you should ask him to drop by, if that is most convenient.’

‘Of course,’ Sirius said on a smile.

Harry ignored him and gave Draco’s direction to the detective, wondering at the embarrassment that seemed to have made a home in his heart through this day. He’d been so pragmatic for so long, he rarely felt much embarrassment anymore. However, he had to acknowledge that young Harry, the one who’d color up at the mention of a girl’s name he liked, still lived somewhere deep within him.


End file.
